GREEK  AND  ROMAN 
MYTHOLOGY 


Y  TATLOCK 


GREEK  AND  ROMAN 
MYTHOLOGY 


GREEK  AND  ROMAN 
MYTHOLOGY 


BY 


JESSIE  M.  TATLOCK 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 
THE  CENTURY  CO, 


Copyright,  1917,  by 

THE  CENTURY  Co. 

297 


Printed  in  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

WHILE  familiarity  with  classical  mythology  is 
generally  recognized  as  essential  to  the  under- 
standing of  literature  and  art  and  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  a  great  and  valuable  part  of  our  artistic 
and  spiritual  heritage,  the  method  of  assuring 
such  a  familiarity  to  the  rising  generation  differs 
in  different  schools.  In  many  the  stories  of  the 
gods  and  heroes  are  read  in  the  lower  grades 
from  one  or  another  of  the  children's  books 
based  on  the  myths,  and  any  further  knowledge 
of  the  subject  depends  upon  the  study  of  Vergil 
and  other  Latin  or  Greek  writers  and  on  the  use 
of  reference  books  in  connection  with  reading  in 
English  literature.  In  many  schools,  however, 
experience  has  proved  that  as  even  the  most  ele- 
mentary knowledge  of  mythology  gained  in  child- 
hood cannot  be  presupposed,  and  as  the  knowl- 
edge gained  from  the  occasional  use  of  reference 
books  is  unsubstantial  and  unsatisfactory,  a  sys- 
tematic course  in  mythology  for  students  of  high- 
school  age  is  necessary.  It  might  seem  that  to 
such  students  this  subject  would  be  so  simple  as 
to  present  no  difficulties,  but  the  fact  is  that  to 
those  who  come  to  its  study,  as  surprisingly  many 


vi  Preface 

do,  with  such  entire  un familiarity  that  the  name 
of  Apollo  or  Venus  conveys  nothing  to  them, 
the  mass  of  new  and  strange  names  and  the  di- 
vergence of  the  conceptions  from  those  to  which 
they  are  accustomed  make  the  study  not  a  little 
difficult.  After  many  years'  experience  with  such 
students  the  writer  has  been  led  to  believe  that 
there  is  need  for  a  text  book  in  a  style  to  appeal 
to  those  who  have  outgrown  children's  books,  but 
of  content  so  limited  and  treatment  so  simple  as 
to  make  it  possible  for  the  average  boy  or  girl 
to  assimilate  it  in  a  course  of  about  thirty  lessons. 
To  secure  brevity  and  simplicity  only  the  most 
famous  and  interesting  of  the  stories  have  been 
incorporated  in  this  book;  certain  others  are 
briefly  mentioned  in  the  index.  In  reading  a 
narrative  it  is  difficult  for  an  inexperienced  stu- 
dent to  distinguish  between  the  important  names 
and  those  that  merely  form  part  of  the  setting 
of  the  story.  The  mention  of  any  names  beyond 
those  that  should  be  remembered  has  therefore 
been  avoided,  and  the  effort  has  been  made  by 
reiteration  and  cross-reference  to  impress  these 
names  upon  the  student. 

In  preparing  an  elementar  y  book  on  mythology 
there  are  naturally  two  pu /poses  to  be  kept  in 
mind:  (i)  By  a  sympathetic  and  accurate 
treatment  to  give  understan  (ing  and  appreciation 
of  the  character  and  ideals  of  the  people  among 
whom  the  mythology  developed.  Any  study  that 


Preface 


vn 


gives  this  understanding  and  appreciation  of  one 
of  the  peoples  through  whom  our  own  spiritual 
life  and  civilization  has  come  to  be  what  it  is  is 
believed  by  the  writer  to  be  important  to  an  in- 
telligent valuation  of  our  present  life  and  ideals 
and  to  a  sane  building  for  the  future.  (2)  By 
placing  the  familiar  stories  in  their  proper  rela- 
tion to  enable  the  student  better  to  understand 
references  in  literature  and  representations  in  art, 
ancient  and  modern.  Because  of  the  subjective 
element  in  the  treatment  of  mythology  in  later 
ages  the  conceptions  have  become  confused.  It 
is  the  writer's  belief  that  to  avoid  confusion  and 
misunderstanding  on  the  student's  part  the  sub- 
ject should  not  be  treated  through  the  medium  of 
modern  writers  and  artists,  whose  interpretation 
of  Greek  thought  and  religion  has  been  affected 
by  the  thought  and  religion  of  their  own  times, 
but  that  by  the  use  of  ancient  sources,  careful 
study  of  the  people's  own  understanding  of  their 
mythology,  direct  quotation  and  free  reproduc- 
tion of  the  works  of  Greek  and  Latin  poets,  illus- 
trations drawn  from  Greek  sculpture  and  paint- 
ing, the  effort  should  be  made  to  leave  an  honest 
picture  of  the  mind  of  the  Greeks.  Therefore 
reference  has  not  been  made  in  the  text  to  Eng- 
lish poems  based  upon  the  myths,  but  it  has  been 
left  to  the  individual  teacher  carefully  to  intro- 
duce such  illustrations  and  parallels ;  an  appendix 
suggests  a  few  of  the  more  notable.  Another 


viii  Preface 

misunderstanding  that  it  is  sought  to  avoid  is  the 
popular  association  of  these  anthropomorphic  con- 
ceptions and  imaginative  tales  with  the  Romans. 
The  writer  has  wished  to  make  it  clear  that  what 
is  known  as  classical  mythology  is  a  product  of 
Greece,  and  that  in  general  the  Latin  writers  have 
merely  retold  stories  that  were  not  original  with 
their  people.  The  Greek  names  have  therefore 
been  employed  primarily,  even  though  they  are 
less  familiar  than  the  Latin.  It  may  seem  in- 
consistent that  this  has  been  done  even  when  the 
version  of  a  tale  as  it  appears  in  the  work  of  some 
Latin  poet,  e.g.,  Ovid,  has  been  followed,  but  it 
is  not  the  nomenclature,  which  is  Latin,  but  the 
subject  matter  and  the  conception  of  the  tale, 
which  is  Greek,  that  has  been  followed.  Where 
the  story  is  mainly  of  Latin  development  Latin 
names  have  been  used.  Perhaps  it  may  seem 
that  too  scant  attention  has  been  paid  to  Roman 
gods,  but  when  one  deals  with  Roman  deities 
one  quickly  gets  out  of  the  realm  of  mythology 
into  that  of  ritual  and  history,  subjects  which 
seem  out  of  place  in  such  a  book  as  this. 

In  spelling  Greek  names  the  most  familiar  and 
the  simplest  English  spellings  have  been  used. 
In  most  cases  «  has  been  transliterated  by  Eng- 
lish i.  (Poseidon  is  a  common  exception,  and 
e  takes  the  place  of  «  before  the  terminations 
a,  as,  us,  as  Me  de'a,  Au  ge'as. )  K  has  been  ren- 
dered c,  at  by  cc.  os  by  Latin  us.  In  these  incon- 


Preface 


IX 


sistencies  the  usual  and  permissible  custom  is  fol- 
lowed. In  the  index  and  upon  their  first  mention 
the  accent  on  names  of  more  than  two  syllables 
is  indicated,  and  in  an  appendix  a  few  simple 
rules  of  pronunciation  are  given. 

While  in  many  instances  in  a  foot-note  the 
version  of  a  story  followed  has  been  indicated, 
and  in  case  of  direct  quotation  the  reference  has 
been  given,  in  an  elementary  book  such  as  this 
the  use  of  many  notes  has  been  avoided  as  unde- 
sirable. In  many  stories  one  author  has  not  been 
followed  exclusively,  but  various  features  have 
been  borrowed  from  various  sources.  Those 
chiefly  followed  are :  Homer,  the  Homeric 
Hymns,  Hesiod,  Pindar,  yEschylus,  Sophocles, 
Euripides,  Apollodorus,  Apollonius  Rhodius,  Hy- 
ginus,  Pausanius,  Vergil,  and  Ovid.  In  quoting 
from  the  Iliad  the  translation  of  Lang,  Leaf,  and 
Myers  has  been  used;  from  the  Odyssey,  that  of 
Butcher  and  Lang;  and  from  the  Homeric 
Hymns,  that  of  Lang.  Of  modern  authorities 
consulted  the  most  important  are:  Preller's 
Griechische  Mythologie  revised  by  Robert  (un- 
fortunately incomplete)  ;  Wissowa's  Religion  itnd 
Kultus  der  Romer;  separate  articles  in  Roscher's 
Lexikon  der  griechischen  imd  romischen  Mythol- 
ogie; the  Pauly-Wissowa  Real-Encydopadic 
der  classischen  Alter  tumszvissenschaft.  Frazer's 
Golden  Bough,  Jane  Harrison's  Prolegomena  to 
the  Study  of  Greek  Religion,  Lawson's  Modern 


x  Preface 

Greek  Folklore  and  Ancient  Greek  Religion, 
Warde  Fowler's  Roman  Festivals,  and  many 
other  books  and  articles  have  been  helpful  and 
suggestive.  The  comprehensive  works  of  Col- 
lignon,  Baumeister,  Overbeck,  Furtwangler,  and 
others  have,  of  course,  been  taken  as  authorities 
in  dealing  with  representations  in  art. 

J.  M.  TATLOCK. 
December,  1916. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION xix 

PART  I.     THE  GODS 

CHAPTER 

I     THE  WORLD  OF  THE  MYTHS    ...  3 

II     THE  GODS  OF  OLYMPUS:  ZEUS     .      .  16 

III  HERA,  ATHENA,  HEPH^STUS  ...  36 

i     Hera 36 

ii     Athena 40 

in     Hephaestus 49 

IV  APOLLO  AND  ARTEMIS 55 

i     Apollo 55 

ii     Artemis 80 

V     HERMES  AND  HESTIA 91 

i     Hermes 91 

ii     Hestia 98 

VI    ARES  AND  APHRODITE 105 

i    Ares 105 

ii     Aphrodite 109 

VII     THE  LESSER  DEITIES  OF  OLYMPUS     .  122 

i    Eros 122 

ii     Other  Deities  of  Olympus  .      .139 

VIII     THE  GODS  OF  THE  SEA 143 

IX     THE  GODS  OF  THE  EARTH  .      .      .     .153 

X    THE  WORLD  OF  THE  DEAD      .     .     .  186 
xi 


xii  Contents 

PART  II.    THE  HEROES 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI     STORIES  OF  ARGOS 199 

XII     HERACLES 210 

XIII  STORIES  OF  CRETE,  SPARTA,  CORINTH, 

JE.TOL.IA 228 

i  Stories  of  Crete  ....  228 

ii  Stories  of  Sparta  .  .  .  .  234 

in  Stories  of  Corinth  ....  236 

iv     Stories  of  ^tolia     .      .      .      .  241 

XIV  STORIES  OF  ATTICA        .     .     .     .     .  244 
XV     STORIES  OF  THEBES       .     .     .     .     .  256 

XVI     THE  ARGONAUTIC  EXPEDITION      .      .  266 

XVII     THE  TROJAN  WAR        .     .     .     .     .  280 

XVIII     THE  WANDERINGS  OF  ODYSSEUS  .      .  305 

XIX     THE  TRAGEDY  OF  AGAMEMNON    .      .  326 

XX    THE  LEGENDARY  ORIGIN  OF  ROME    .  331 

APPENDIX  A       . 355 

APPENDIX  B       .......  356 

INDEX      ...     .     .     .     ...     .  363 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG.  PARE 

1.  Omphalus,  copy  of  a  stone  bound  with  fil- 

lets that  was  set  up  at  Delphi  to  mark 
the  center  of  the  earth  (Museum  at 
Delphi) 4 

2.  Rhea  offering  Cronus  the  stone  in  place  of 

Zeus  (Vase  in  Metropolitan  Museum)  .       6 

3.  Zeus  (Metropolitan  Museum)       ...     17 

4.  Dirce  tied  to  the  bull  (National  Museum, 

Naples) 27 

5.  Head  of  Zeus  found  at  Otricoli  (Vatican)     31 

6.  View  of  ruins  at  Olympia 33 

7.  Hera,  "  Borghese  Juno"  (Glyptothek  Ny 

Carlsberg,  Copenhagen) 37 

8.  Ganymede  and  the  eagle  (Vatican)     .     .     39 

9.  Head    of    Hera     (Museo    delle    Terme, 

Rome) 40 

10.  Lemnian  Athena   (Albertinum,  Dresden)     41 

11.  Birth  of   Athena    (Gerhard  —  Auserlese- 

ne  Vasenbilder) 43 

12.  Athena  "  Minerva  of  Velletri  "  (Louvre)     45 

13.  Hephaestus  and  the  Cyclopes  preparing  the 

shield  of  Achilles  (Palazzo  dei  Con- 
servatori,  Rome) 50 

14.  Apollo  from  the  pediment  of  the  temple 

at  Olympia 54 


Xlll 


xiv  Illustrations 

FIG.  PAGE 

15.  The  sun-god  in  his  chariot  (Vase  in  Brit- 

ish Museum) 56 

16.  Foundations  of  Apollo's  temple  at  Delphi  57 

17.  Apollo  as  leader  of  the  Muses  (Vatican)  .  60 

1 8.  Niobe  and  her  daughter  (Uffizi,  Florence)  69 

19.  Asclepius  (Capitoline  Museum,  Rome)   .  75 

20.  Artemis  of  Versailles  (Louvre)  .  81 

21.  Artemis  of  Gabii  (Louvre)      ....  83 

22.  Actaeon  killed  by  his  dogs  (Vase  in  Eos- 

ton  Art  Museum) 86 

23.  Sleeping  Endymion   (Capitoline  Museum, 

Rome)    .     '. 87 

24.  Hermes    in    repose    (National    Museum, 

Naples) 93 

25.  Hermes  (Olympia) 97 

26.  Hestia,  so-called  (Rome) 99 

27.  Genius   and    Lares    (Wall-painting    from 

Pompeii) 101 

28.  Ares    with    Eros    (Museo    delle    Terme, 

Rome) 104 

29.  Bearded     Mars     (Museo     delle     Terme, 

Rome) 106 

30.  Aphrodite  of  Cnidos  (Museo  delle  Terme, 

Rome) 107 

31.  Birth  of  Aphrodite  from  the  sea  (Museo 

delle  Terme,  Rome) no 

32.  Judgment  of  Paris  (Tomb  of  the  Anicii, 

Rome) in 

33.  Venus  of  Aries  (Louvre) 114 

34.  Eros,     or    Cupid     (Capitoline     Museum, 

Rome) 123 


Illustrations  xv 

FIG.  PAGE 

35.  Cupid  and   Psyche    (Capitoline  Museum, 

Rome) 127 

36.  Clio  (Vatican) 140 

37.  Thalia  (Vatican)       .      . 141 

38.  Terpsichore  (Vatican) 142 

39.  Poseidon  (Athens) 145 

40.  Marriage    of    Poseidon    and    Amphitrite 

(Vase  in  Glyptothek  Ny-Carlsberg)      .    148 

41.  Head  of  a  sea-god    .......   149 

42.  Cybele  in  her  car  (Metropolitan  Museum)    153 

43.  Demeter  (Glyptothek  Ny-Carlsberg)   .      .155 

44.  Demeter,    Triptolemtis,    and    Persephone 

(Athens) 159 

45.  Triptolemus  in  the  dragon-drawn  chariot 

(Eleusis) 162 

46.  Dionysus  (Museo  delle  Terme,  Rome)     .    163 

47.  Silenus  with  Dionysus  (Vatican)  .      .      .167 

48.  Bacchic    procession    (National    Museum, 

Naples) 168 

49.  Youthful    Dionysus    (National    Museum, 

Naples) 172 

50.  Bacchic  procession  (Vase  in  Metropolitan 

Museum) 173 

51.  Pan  and  a  nymph  (Terra  Cotta  from  Asia 

Minor)        175 

52.  Votive  offering  to  Pan  and  the  nymphs 

(National  Museum,  Athens)      .      .      .    179 

53.  Dancing   Satyr    (National   Museum,   Na- 

ples)        180 

54.  Faun  of  Praxiteles  (Capitoline  Museum, 

Rome) 181 


xvi  Illustrations 

FIG.  PAGE 

55.  Athena     and     Marsyas     (Reconstruction 

made  in  Munich)        .      .  •  .      .      .      .   182 

56.  Apollo  and  Marsyas   (National  Museum, 

Athens) 183 

57.  Charon  in  his  skiff  (Vase  in  Metropolitan 

Museum) 188 

58.  Heracles  carrying  off  Cerberus  (Gerhard. 

Auserlesene  Vasenbildcr)      .      .      .      .191 

59.  Parting  of  Orpheus  and  Eurydice   (Na- 

tional Museum,  Naples)        .      .      .      .193 

60.  Carpenter   making   the   chest    for   Danae 

and  Perseus  (Vase  in  Boston  Art  Mu- 
seum)     20 1 

61.  Head  of  Medusa  Rondanini  (Glyptothek, 

Munich) 203 

62.  Perseus  killing  Medusa  (Metope  for  Seli- 

nunte) 205 

63.  Atlas   supporting  the  heavens    (National 

Museum,  Naples) 207 

64.  Heracles   (Vatican)        .      .     .     .     .     .211 

65.  Heracles   strangling  the  serpents    (Wall- 

painting  from  Pompeii) 214 

66.  Five  of  Heracles'  labors  (Borghese  Gal- 

lery, Rome) 215 

67.  Heracles    killing    the    Hydra     (Gerhard. 

Auserlesene  Vasenbilder}      .     .     .     .217 

68.  Heracles  carrying  the  boar  (Metropolitan 

Museum) 218 

69.  Amazon  (Capitoline  Museum,  Rome)       .  219 

70.  Heracles  in  the  bowl  of  the  sun  (Gerhard. 

Auserlesene  Vasenbilder)      .      .     .     .221 


Illustrations  xvii 

FIG.  PAGE 

71.  Nessus  running  off  with  Dejanira  (Vase 

in  Boston  Art  Museum)       ....  226 

72.  Europa  on  the  bull   (Wall-painting  from 

Pompeii) 228 

73.  Daedalus  and  Icarus  (Villa  Albani,  Rome)  231 

74.  The  Dioscuri  (Ancient  statues  now  set  up 

before  the  king's  palace  in  Rome)   .      .  234 

75.  Chimsera    (Archaeological  Museum,  Flor- 

ence)       237 

76.  Bellerophon  and  Pegasus  (Palazzo  Spada, 

Rome) 239 

77.  Meleager  (Vatican) 242 

78.  Cephalus  and  the  dawn-goddess  (Vase  in 

Boston  Art  Museum)       .....   246 

79.  Theseus   killing  the   Minotaur    (Vase   in 

Boston  Art  Museum) 251 

80.  Theseus     and     the     rescued     Athenians 

(Wall-painting  from  Pompeii)    .      .      .   252 

81.  Centaur   and   Lapith    (Metope    from   the 

Parthenon)       ........   253 

82.  Cadmus  and  the  dragon  (Vase  in  Metro- 

politan Museum) 257 

83.  CEdipus  and  the  Sphinx  (Vase  in  Boston 

Art  Museum) 261 

84.  Phrixus  and  the  ram  (Metropolitan  Mu- 

seum)     266 

85.  Centaur  (Capitoline  Museum,  Rome)       .  268 

86.  Medea  preparing  the  magic  brew    (Ger- 

hard.    Auserlcscnc    Vasenbildcr)    .      .   276 

87.  Medea    preparing    to    kill    her    children 

(Wall-painting  from  Pompeii)   .      .      .   278 


xviii  Illustrations 

PIG.  PAGE 

88.  The  persuasion  of  Helen  (National  Mu- 

seum, Naples) 285 

89.  Sacrifice  of  Iphigenia  (National  Museum, 

Naples) 289 

90.  Priam  ransoming  Hector's  body  (Vase  in 

Vienna) 299 

91.  Laocoon  and  his  sons  (Vatican)   .      .      .   302 

92.  Priam   slain   on   the   altar    (Vase   in  the 

Louvre) .   304 

93.  Odysseus  and  the  Sirens  (Vase  in  British 

Museum) 313 

94.  Odysseus     appearing     before     Nausicaa 

(Vase  in  Munich) 318 

95.  Odysseus  makes  himself  known  to  Tele- 

machus    (Vase    in    Metropolitan    Mu- 
seum)     322 

96.  Odysseus  avenging  himself  upon  the  suit- 

ors (Vase  in  Munich  Museum)       .     .  325 

97.  yEneas     wounded     (Wall-painting     from 

Pompeii) 332 

98.  yEneas     fleeing     from     Troy     (Gerhard. 

Auserlesene  Vasenbilder)       ....   337 

99.  The    wolf    with    Romulus    and    Remus 

(Capitoline  Museum,  Rome)      .     .      .  349 


INTRODUCTION 
PRIMITIVE  people,  as  they  have  looked  out  on  Myths  and 

*  mythology. 

the  world  about  them,  on  the  sea  and  the  trees, 
on  the  sky  and  the  clouds,  and  as  they  have  felt  the 
power  of  natural  forces,  the  heat  of  the  sun,  the 
violence  of  the  wind,  have  recognized  in  these 
things  the  expression  and  action  of  some  being 
more  powerful  than  themselves.  Able  to  under- 
stand only  those  motives  and  sensations  that  are 
like  their  own,  they  have  conceived  these  beings 
more  or  less  after  their  own  nature.  The  He- 
brews, indeed,  at  an  early  time  recognized  one 
supreme  God,  who  had  created  and  who  directed 
all  the  world  according  to  his  will,  but  most  other 
early  people  have  seen  living,  willing  beings  in 
the  forms  and  powers  of  nature,  and  have  wor- 
shiped these  beings  as  gods  or  feared  them  as 
devils.  Physical  events,  such  as  the  rising  and 
setting  of  the  sun,  or  the  springing  and  ripening 
of  the  grain,  are  to  them  actions  of  the  beings 
identified  with  sun  or  grain.  In  accounting  for 
these  acts,  whether  regularly  recurring,  as  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  or  occasionally  disturbing  the  or- 
dinary course  of  nature,  as  earthquakes,  eclipses, 
or  violent  storms,  stories  more  or  less  complete 


xx  Introduction 

grow,  are  repeated,  and  believed.  These  stories 
told  of  superhuman  beings  and  believed  by  a  whole 
people  are  myths,  and  all  these  myths  together 
form  a  mythology. 

The  interest  The  mythology  of  any  people  is  interesting 
mythology,  because  it  reflects  their  individual  nature  and  de- 
veloping life;  that  of  the  Greeks  is  more  inter- 
esting to  us  than  any  other,  first,  because  it  ex- 
presses the  nature  of  a  people  gifted  with  a  pe- 
culiarly fine  and  artistic  soul ;  secondly,  because 
our  own  thought  and  art  are,  in  great  part,  a 
heritage  from  the  civilization  of  Greece.  Much 
of  this  heritage  comes  to  us  quite  directly  from 
the  Greek  writers  and  artists  whose  works  have 
been  preserved.  The  dramas  of  Sophocles  and 
Euripides  hold  an  audience  in  America  as  they 
held  those  in  Athens,  because  their  art  is  true 
and  great;  the  noble  youth  of  the  Hermes  of 
Praxiteles,  or  the  gallant  action  of  the  horsemen 
in  the  frieze  of  the  Parthenon  satisfy  us  in  the 
twentieth  century  as  they  did  the  Greeks  in  the 
fifth  and  fourth  centuries  B.C.  But  more  of  this 
heritage  comes  down  to  us  through  the  Romans, 
whose  genius  taught  them  to  conquer  and  govern 
without  destroying,  and  who  learned  from  the 
nations  that  they  conquered,  Egypt,  Asia,  and 
Greece,  all  that  centuries  of  rich  civilization  had 
to  give.  The  civilization  of  the  modern  world. 
America  as  well  as  Europe,  is  rooted  deeply  in  the 
civilization  of  Rome,  and  through  Rome  in  that 


Introduction  xxi 

of  Greece.  Greek  thought  and  Greek  principles 
run  through  our  law,  our  government,  our  stand- 
ards of  taste,  our  art,  and  our  literature.  The 
very  personages  of  Greek  mythology  are  famil- 
iarly known  to-day  in  the  United  States,  divorced 
from  religious  meaning  but  set  up  before  our 
eyes  as  symbols  of  truths  that  are  in  the  very 
nature  of  things.  The  winged  Mercury  (the 
god  of  travelers,  whose  Greek  name  was  Hermes) 
waves  his  magic  wand  above  the  main  entrance 
to  the  Grand  Central  Station  in  New  York;  the 
noble  head  of  Minerva  (the  Greek  Athena,  the 
goddess  of  wisdom)  is  set  above  the  doors  of  our 
libraries  and  colleges,  and  the  adventures  of 
Ulysses  (or  Odysseus)  and  of  many  other  Greek 
heroes  are  painted  on  the  walls  of  our  Congres- 
sional Library.  Even  in  our  daily  language  there 
is  still  a  hint  of  mythology :  our  troops  still  march 
to  martial  music,  the  music  of  the  war-god  Mars, 
and  we  eat  at  breakfast  cereals,  the  gift  of  the 
corn-goddess  Ceres;  the  Muses  of  Pieria  are  not 
too  far  away  to  inspire  the  music  of  our  western 
world. 

These   beliefs  and   stories   have  been   handed   classical 
down  through  so  many  ages  and  modified  in  so  truly  Greek* 
many  ways  that  confusion  as  to  their  real  origin 
has  naturally  arisen.     It  is  Greek,  not  Roman. 
The  Romans  did  not  develop  an  original  mythol- 
ogy but  took  over  stories  from  the  Greeks  and 
others  and  told  them  of  their  own  gods.     It  was 


xxii  Introduction 

the  Greek  Zeus,  not  the  Roman  Jupiter,  who  had 
so  many  love  adventures ;  it  was  the  Greek  Aphro- 
dite, not  the  Roman  Venus,  who  received  the 
golden  apple  from  Trojan  Paris.  Classical 
mythology  is  the  expression  of  the  nature  and 
thought  of  the  Greeks,  not  that  of  the  Romans. 
For  the  Greeks  were  by  nature  artistic;  they  in- 
stinctively expressed  their  ideals,  the  truth  as  they 
saw  it,  in  poetry,  story,  and  sculpture,  and  be- 
cause imagination,  insight,  and  love  of  beauty 
were  united  in  them,  their  stories  and  their  art 
have  an  appeal  that  is  universal. 

veiopment  ^he  rengi°n  and  mythology  of  the  Greeks  was 
mythology.  not  a  fixe(i  and  unchanging  thing;  it  varied  with 
different  localities  and  changed  with  changing 
conditions.  For  when  we  speak  of  Greece  we 
do  not  speak  of  a  nation  in  the  strict  sense  — 
that  is,  a  people  under  one  central  government  — 
but  of  the  Greek  race :  "  Wherever  the  Greeks 
are,  there  is  Greece."  So  the  mythological  stories 
grew  and  changed  as  they  passed  from  Asia 
Minor  to  Greece,  or  from  Greece  to  the  islands 
of  the  ^Lgean  Sea,  to  Italy  and  Sicily.  More- 
over, the  independence  of  the  individual  in  the 
Greek  states,  where  men  thought  for  themselves, 
and  no  autocratic  government  or  powerful  priest- 
hood exerted  undue  restraint,  fostered  variety  and 
permitted  artists  and  poets  so  to  modify  tradition 
as  to  express  something  of  their  individual  ideas. 
This  added  infinitely  to  the  richness  of  mythology 


Introduction  xxiii 

and  art.  Local  conditions,  too,  and  local  pride, 
in  a  country  broken  both  geographically  and  po- 
litically into  small  divisions,  added  variety  to  re- 
ligious customs.  In  mountain  districts  the  god 
of  the  sky  and  storms  was  most  feared  and  wor- 
shiped, in  the  fertile  plains,  the  gods  of  earth 
and  harvest,  while  on  the  coast  men  needed  the 
favor  of  the  gods  who  were  powerful  over  the 
sea  and  protected  commerce.  Local  heroes  gath- 
ered stories  about  themselves,  and  local  pride  led 
people  to  place  important  events,  such  as  the 
birth  of  a  god  or  some  important  manifestation 
of  his  power,  in  their  own  localities.  Many  dif- 
ferent places  claimed  to  be  the  birthplace  of 
Apollo,  and  the  fires  of  Hephaestus  burned 
within  many  a  volcano  (called  after  his  Latin 
name,  Vulcan).  Furthermore,  as  they  came  in 
contact  with  other  peoples  and  became  familiar 
with  their  religious  stories  and  ceremonial,  they 
incorporated  much  that  was  of  foreign  origin 
into  their  own  religion.  The  stories  connected 
with  Dionysus,  or  Bacchus,  and  the  extravagant 
rites  celebrated  in  his  honor  were  imported  from 
the  East,  and  the  Aphrodite  of  Asia  Minor  was 
far  more  Asiatic  and  sensual  in  character  than 
the  Aphrodite  of  Greece.  Finally,  since  myth- 
ology is  not  based  on  authority  but  grows 
from  the  soul  of  the  people,  it  necessarily  fol- 
lows that  as  Greek  life  and  thought  grew  and 
developed,  as  social  conditions  changed,  as  art 


xxiv  Introduction 

was  perfected  and  poetry  and  philosophy  grew 
less  simple,  the  telling  of  the  myths  and  their 
interpretation  changed  and  developed.  Mytho- 
logy was  a  living,  growing  thing,  impossible  to 
seize  and  fix  in  a  consistent  system.  It  must  be 
regarded  as  a  mass  of  legend,  handed  down 
through  the  people  and  poets  of  generation  after 
generation,  continually  reflecting  the  developing 
life  and  soul  of  a  great  and  vital  race.  When 
different  versions  of  a  story  are  found,  one  is 
not  necessarily  more  authentic  than  another;  in 
the  present  book  that  version  is  given  which  has 
become  most  famous  in  art  and  literature, 
rhe  character  Before  proceeding  to  the  mythological  stories 

of  the  Greek 

religion,  that  spring  from  the  Greek  religion,  it  is  well  to 
notice  some  of  the  more  marked  characteristics 
of  that  religion. 

(1)  It  was  polytheistic,  it  was  the  worship  of 
many  gods.     The  supremacy  of  Zeus,   "  father 
of  gods  and  king  of  men,"  over  the  other  gods 
did  not  make  the  religion  a  monotheism  any  more 
than  the  hegemony  or  leadership  of  one  Greek 
state  over  others  made  Greece  one  united  nation. 

(2)  The   religion  was,   in  origin,   a  worship 
of   the   powers   of   nature.     This   is   natural   to 
primitive  men  everywhere,  because  these  are  the 
first  powers  outside  of  themselves  of  which  men 
are  conscious.     The  intensity  of  the  Greek  sun, 
the  nearness  of  the  sea  and  its  importance  in  the 
daily  life  of  the  people,  the  mountain  barriers 


Introduction  xxv 

about  them,  all  tended  to  emphasize  men's  de- 
pendence upon  nature.  But  as  the  Greeks  de- 
veloped in  intelligence  and  civilization,  as  their 
thoughts  and  their  lives  became  less  simple,  and 
abstract  ideas  entered  into  the  government  of 
their  actions,  these  nature  gods  assumed  ethical 
or  moral  meanings.  So  the  thunder  of  Zeus. 
originally  his  weapon  as  sky-god,  became  the 
symbol  of  his  world  power  as  god  of  law  and  or- 
der. The  clear,  illuminating  brightness  of  the 
sun  made  of  the  god  of  light,  Apollo,  the  all- 
seeing  prophet,  who  in  his  worshipers  required 
purity.  Athena,  who,  owing  to  the  story  of  her 
birth  from  her  father  Zeus's  head  when  Hephaes- 
tus had  cleft  it,  is  generally  supposed  to  have 
represented  the  descent  of  the  storm  when  the 
thunderbolt  has  opened  the  heavens,  almost  lost 
this  original  meaning,  and  became  the  goddess 
of  practical  wisdom  and  of  skill  in  war. 

(3)  It  was  an  anthropomorphic  religion  — 
that  is,  the  gods  were  conceived  in  the  forms  of 
men,  greater  and  more  beautiful  and  of  a  finer 
substance,  yet  such  as  men  could  understand  and 
represent.  While  a  more  spiritual  conception 
leads  to  a  loftier  ideal,  this  Greek  conception  of 
the  gods  as  of  like  nature  with  men  exalts  and 
ennobles  human  life  and  the  human  body  and 
offers  subjects  for  poets  and  sculptors.  A  purely 
spiritual  god  can  never  be  so  represented  as  even 
in  part  to  satisfy  his  worshipers,  but  the  noble 


xxvi  Introduction 

dignity  of  Zeus,  the  king  cf  gods,  was  so  realized 
by  the  sculptor  Phidias  that  his  great  gold  and 
ivory  statue  quite  worthily  expressed  to  the  peo- 
ple their  ideal.  What  gulf  there  was  between 
gods  and  men  was  bridged  by  the  existence  of 
heroes  or  demigods,  sons  of  gods  by  mortals,  and 
of  nature  and  powers  half  human,  half  divine. 

(4)  To  worship  and  propitiate  these  gods,  in 
nature  so  close  to  men,  so  easily  understood,  men 
needed  the  help  of  no  powerful  priesthood  gifted 
with  peculiar  sanctity  and  mysterious  knowledge 
and  powers.  At  the  great  shrines,  it  is  true,  there 
were  priests  and  priestesses  devoted  to  the  gods' 
service,  and  there  were  men  and  women  peculiarly 
inspired  by  the  god  to  interpret  his  will  and  give 
warning  and  promise  for  the  future;  but  these 
prophets  only  occasionally  or  indirectly  con- 
trolled people's  actions  and  had  little  authority  in 
determining  religious  belief  and  practice.  Each 
father  was  his  family's  priest;  each  man  could 
offer  his  own  prayers  and  his  own  sacrifice  and 
be  understood  and  accepted  by  the  god  he  ad- 
dressed. When  the  family  ate  and  drank,  part 
of  the  meat  and  drink  was  offered  to  the  gods. 
When  they  danced  and  sang,  the  gods,  called 
on  to  be  present,  enjoyed  a  pleasure  like  their 
own.  Even  games  and  athletics  were  shared  by 
the  gods.  Apollo  threw  the  discus  with  his 
friends,  and  Hermes  was  famous  for  his  swift- 
ness of  foot.  .  So  athletic  contests  became  a  form 


Introduction  xxvii 

of  worship.  Business  as  well  as  pleasure  was  a 
repetition  of  divine  actions  and  therefore  joined 
with  religion.  Hermes  was  a  shepherd  and  un- 
derstood the  needs  of  other  shepherds;  Hephaes- 
tus was  a  smith,  and  no  human  smith  needed  an 
interpreter  to  call  upon  him  for  aid  in  his  craft. 
The  gods  experienced  and  understood,  too,  the 
different  relations  of  life.  The  maiden  Artemis 
readily  lent  an  ear  to  girls  who  were  in  trouble, 
and  the  offering  of  their  childish  playthings  was 
acceptable  to  her.  Hera,  as  wife  and  mother, 
was  always  ready  to  champion  mortals  in  those 
relations,  while  the  rights  of  kings  were  very 
dear  to  Zeus,  the  king  of  gods.  So  all  the  acts 
of  daily  life,  all  the  simple  things  that  men  used, 
rinding  their  counterpart  among  the  Olympians 
were  ennobled  and  rilled  with  religious  meaning. 

The  gods  of  the  Romans  were  just  as  closely  The  character 

J  r      i         of  .th.e  B" 

connected  with  daily  life  as  were  those  of  the  religion. 
Greeks,  but  the  number  of  deities  to  be  recog- 
nized was  vastly  multiplied,  and  they  did  not  ap- 
pear to  their  worshipers  as  distinct  personalities. 
No  act  of  life,  from  the  cooking  of  the  family 
meal  to  the  declaration  of  war,  but  was  under 
the  special  care  of  some  divinity.  No  material 
thing,  from  the  oven  in  which  the  bread  was 
baked  to  the  city  of  Rome,  but  had  its  own  in- 
dwelling deity.  Even  to  know  the  names  of  all 
these  innumerable  divinities,  much  more  to  give 
them  all  distinct  characters  and  to  determine  the 


xxviii  Introduction 

best  way  to  approach  each  one,  was  quite  im- 
possible for  the  busy  practical  citizen.  Hence, 
a  purely  conventional  system  of  religious  cere- 
monial and  invocation  ran  through  Roman  life, 
just  as  unquestioningly  observed  as  the  other 
conventions  and  regulations  to  which  the  citizens 
were  subject.  Each  family  under  its  father  as 
head  worshiped  its  own  gods  of  the  home  and 
family  about  its  own  hearth,  and  no  one  could 
hold  his  place  in  the  family  without  performing 
his  duty  to  the  family  gods.  So  the  state,  as 
the  greater  family,  had  its  own  deities,  its  own 
hearth  in  the  shrine  of  Vesta  in  the  Forum,  its 
own  religious  head,  first  the  king,  later  under 
the  Republic  the  Pontifex  Maximus.  State  and 
religion  were  one  and  indivisible;  failure  in  re- 
ligious duty  was  failure  in  national  duty,  and  a 
wrong  committed  against  the  civil  law  was  a 
sin  against  the  gods.  This  was  a  strong  civiliz- 
ing side  of  religion  that  made  for  good  morals 
and  good  citizenship,  but  it  lacked  the  inspira- 
tion of  a  more  personal  faith.  Nor  had  the 
Roman  gods  sufficient  individuality  to  bring  into 
existence  any  body  of  mythology,  such  as  that  of 
the  Greeks.  The  stories  we  are  accustomed  to 
associate  with  the  Roman  gods  are  either  bor- 
rowed from  the  Greeks  or  were  late  creations 
of  imagination  inspired  by  and  modeled  on  the 
traditions  of  Greek  mythology. 


PART  I 
THE  GODS 


GREEK  AND  ROMAN 
MYTHOLOGY 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  WORLD  OF  THE  MYTHS 

THE  knowledge  that  the  world  we  live  in  is  a  Mythical 

geography. 

sphere  and  but  one  of  an  endless  number  that  are 
whirling  through  space  with  incredible  speed,  is 
not  a  knowledge  that  we  have  by  nature  or  by 
experience;  we  must  be  persuaded  of  this  scien- 
tific fact.  For  as  we  look  around  us  and  above 
us,  we  seem  to  stand  at  the  very  center  of  a  cir- 
cular plane,  vaulted  by  the  sky,  across  whose 
spacious  arch  the  sun  travels  by  day  and  the 
moon  by  night.  This  was  the  view  held  by  the 
Greeks  of  early  times.  To  them  the  world  was 
flat  and  round,  a  disk  whose  central  point  was  in 
their  own  native  land,  in  Central  Greece,  at  Del- 
phi, the  holy  place  of  all  their  race.  Near  and  far 
were  counted  from  Delphi ;  it  was  with  the  sacred 
permission  of  the  oracle  established  there  that 
those  daring  colonists  set  out  who  brought  Greece 
to  the  shores  of  Asia  Minor,  to  Africa,  and  Italy. 

Beyond  those  lands  to  which  -Greek  enterprise  Distant 
and  civilization  penetrated  lay  distant  lands  in- 


4     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

habited  by  strange  people  and  monsters,  the  tiny 
race  of  Pygmies,  one-eyed  giants,  and  serpents. 
Far  in  the  North  lived  a  good  and  happy  people, 
the  Hy  per  bo're  ans,  and  to  the  South  "  the 


Fig.  i.     Omphalus,  copy  of  a  stone  bound  with  fillets  that 
was  set  up  at  Delphi  to  mark  the  center  of  the  earth. 

blameless  Ethiopians.''  These  had  no  dealings 
with  other  men,  but  were  specially  loved  by  the 
gods,  who  paid  them  frequent  visits  and  ate  at 
their  tables.  Beyond  all  lands,  and  circling  the 
disk  of  earth,  ran  the  Stream  of  Ocean,  a  great 
and  mysterious  river  without  a  farther  shore. 


The  World  of  the  Myths          5 

The  account  of  the  beginning  of  this  world,  The  begin 

ning  of 

as  the  Greek  poets  tell  it,  is  in  one  respect  quite  the  wori«i 
unlike  the  account  that  is  found  in  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Genesis.  For  while  the  Hebrews  were 
taught  that  God,  who  existed  from  the  beginning, 
created  our  universe  of  heaven,  earth,  and  sea, 
and  all  the  forms  of  life,  ending  in  man,  the 
Greeks  believed  that  the  natural  world  came  into 
being  by  birth  or  generation,  and  that  even  the 
gods  whom  they  worshiped  were  the  children 
and  successors  of  an  earlier  and  more  elemental 
race  of  beings. 

Thus,  in  the  beginning  was  Chaos,  a  formless  The  earlier 

gods. 

misty  void;  next  came  Gaea  (Earth),  and  Eros 
(Love),  most  beautiful  of  immortals.  From 
Chaos  sprang  Er'e  bus  (the  darkness  under  the 
earth)  and  Night.  From  these  two  were  born 
^Ether  (the  light  of  heaven)  and  Day.  But 
Gaea,  touched  by  Eros,  bore  U'ra  nus  (Heaven), 
the  sea  and  all  the  hills.  Then  Uranus  and  Gaea 
were  united  by  Eros  and  became  the  parents  of 
the  Titans,  who  represent  the  great  ungoverned 
forces  of  nature,  and  the  three  Cyck/pes,  who 
are  the  rumbling  thunder,  the  lightning,  and  the 
thunderbolt;  lastly,  they  gave  birth  to  the  hun- 
dred-handed giants,  who  represent  the  violence 
of  the  sea.  When  Uranus,  fearing  his  children, 
the  Cyclopes  and  the  hundred-handed  giants, 
drove  them  back  into  the  earth,  Gaea  in  her  dis- 
tress called  upon  the  Titans  for  deliverance. 


6     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  greatest  of  them,  Cronus,  obedient  to  his 
mother's   call,   attacked  his   father,   and  having 
maimed  him  with  a  sickle,  seized  his  power. 
Birth  of        After  this,  Cronus  married  his  sister  Rhea  and 

the  gods. 

became  the  father  of  six  children ;  but  since  he 
had  been  told  that  a  son  should  overthrow  his 


Fig.  2.    Rhea  offering  Cronus  tne  stone  in  place  of  Zeus. 

rule,  as  he  had  overthrown  that  of  his  own  father, 
he  adopted  the  extraordinary  precaution  of  swal- 
lowing his  children  as  soon  as  they  were  born. 
Thus  Hes'tia  (Vesta),  Deme'ter  (Ceres),  and 
Hera  (Juno)  Posei'don  (Neptune),  and  Hades 
(Pluto),  came  to  the  light  only  to  be  devoured. 


The  World  of  the  Myths          7 

When  Rhea  bore  her  last  son,  Zeus  (Jupiter), 
she  saved  him  from  the  fate  of  his  brothers  and 
sisters  by  giving  to  Cronus  a  stone  wrapped  in 
baby's  clothes  in  his  place.  The  infant  was  kept 
for  safety  in  a  cave  in  Crete,  where  he  was 
nourished  on  honey  and  the  milk  of  the  goat 
Am  al  the'a,  while  the  Cu  re'tes,  mountain  spirits 
of  Crete  or  priests  of  Rhea,  drowned  his  cries 
by  clashing  their  spears  on  their  shields. 

When  Zeus  was  grown,  by  giving  Cronus  a  5 
strong  potion  he  forced  him  to  disgorge  the  five 
children  he  had  swallowed.  He  then  declared 
war  upon  him.  The  gods,  as  Zeus  and  his 
brothers  and  sisters  should  now  be  called,  forti- 
fied themselves  on  Mt.  Olympus,  in  Thessaly, 
and  for  ten  years  the  war  raged  without  ceasing. 
The  rugged  mountains  and  jumbled  rocks  of 
Thessaly  bear  witness  to  the  fury  of  the  battles. 
Finally  Gaea  advised  Zeus  to  loose  from  their 
prison  under  the  earth  the  Cyclopes  and  the  hun- 
dred-handed giants.  After  this,  armed  with  the 
thunderbolts  given  him  by  the  Cyclopes,  and  as- 
sisted by  the  convulsions  of  sea  and  land  caused 
by  the  hundred-handed  giants,  Zeus  gained  the 
victory.  Those  Titans  who  had  taken  Cronus' 
part  were  buried  deep  in  Tartarus,  as  far  below 
the  earth  as  earth  is  below  heaven. 

The  three  brothers  now  divided  the  world  be-  The  division 

of  the  worlo. 

tween  them.  Zeus,  chosen  as  king,  was  supreme 
over  heaven  and  earth,  as  truly  a  sky-god  as  his 


8     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

grandfather  Uranus  had  been.  Poseidon  was 
lord  over  all  the  waters,  and  to  Hades  was  given 
the  realm  that  bears  his  name  below  the  earth, 
and  dominion  over  the  dead. 

Typhon.  Although  Gaea  had  aided  and  abetted  the  gods 
in  their  war  against  Cronus,  she  resented  the 
complete  subjugation  of  her  sons.  Therefore 
she  brought  forth  Typhon,  a  fearful  monster, 
from  whose  shoulders  grew  a  hundred  serpent 
heads,  with  darting  tongues  and  fiery  eyes,  and 
from  whose  throats  came  fearful  sounds,  like  the 
bellowing  of  bulls,  the  howling  of  dogs,  the  roar- 
ing of  lions,  and  the  hissing  of  serpents.  Under 
him  all  the  earth  was  shaken,  the  waters  seethed ; 
even  Hades  below  trembled  at  the  convulsion  of 
the  world.  But  Zeus  seized  the  thunderbolts,  his 
gift  from  the  Cyclopes,  and  overthrew  Typhon, 
scorching  all  his  hundred  heads.  This  monster, 
too,  was  buried  beneath  the  earth,  but  still  from 
his  uneasy  writhing  at  times  the  earth  trembles, 
and  the  flames  from  his  nostrils  shoot  up  through 
the  craters  of  volcanoes. 
The  w»r  with  To  Zeus  were  born  many  sons  and  daughters, 

the  giants.  ' 

and  when  other  enemies  threatened  his  power,  he 
had  their  assistance  in  overcoming  them.  This 
new  war  was  brought  on  by  a  race  of  giants  who 
had  sprung  from  the  blood  of  Uranus,  when 
he  was  wounded  by  his  son  Cronus.  Not  all  are 
agreed  as  to  just  what  the  form  of  the  giants 
was,  but  artists  sometimes  depicted  them  with 


The  World  of  the  Myths         9 

the  tails  of  serpents,  and  armed,  as  a  tribe  of 
savage  men  might  be,  with  tree-trunks  and  rocks. 
These,  too,  Zeus  with  the  help  of  his  brothers 
and  children  overthrew  and  buried.  After  this 
his  rule  was  undisputed. 

Much  of  this  story  of  the  world  is  allegory.  Meaning  of 

T^  •  r  •    ,  J      the  myths. 

Day  springs  from  night;  heaven  and  earth  are 
the  parents  of  the  powers  of  nature.  It  is  all  a 
development  from  the  lower  to  the  higher,  from 
unordered  forces  of  nature,  to  nature  ordered 
by  thought,  justice,  and  beauty.  And  this  de- 
velopment comes  through  love  and  birth,  and 
through  struggle,  in  which  the  higher  gains  the 
rule  by  crushing  the  lower.  It  is  the  story  of 
science,  history,  and  the  spiritual  life,  told  as  an 
allegory. 

Of  the  origin  of  man  in  the  world  the  Greeks  The  creation 
had  three  explanations :  he  was  born  of  the  earth, 
as  in  the  story  of  the  earliest  king  of  Athens,  who 
rose  from  the  ground,  half  man,  half  serpent; 
or  he  was  descended  from  the  gods,  Zeus  is  called 
"  Father  of  gods  and  men  " ;  or  —  and  this  came 
to  be  the  accepted  account  —  he  was  molded  out 
of  clay  by  the  Titan's  son,  Pro  me'theus,  and 
given  life  by  A  the'na,  the  wise  daughter  of  Zeus. 
A  Greek  gentleman  of  the  second  century  A.D., 
traveling  in  his  own  country,  was  shown  a  small 
brick  hut  in  which,  he  was  told  by  the  natives  of 
the  place,  Prometheus  had  fashioned  the  first 
man.  Large  masses  of  clay-colored  stone  lay 


1O    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

about,  and  the  credulous  tourist  says  that  it  had 
the  odor  of  human  flesh.1 

ofhefire!ft  When  he  had  created  man,  Prometheus  gave 
him  the  gift  of  fire,  which  raised  him  above  all 
other  animals  and  enabled  him  to  make  use  of 
the  world  about  him  by  forging  weapons  and 
tools  for  agriculture.  Fire  was  the  means  and 
the  symbol  of  civilization.  But  Prometheus  fell 
under  the  displeasure  of  Zeus  for  his  favor  to- 
ward man ;  for  when  a  joint  meeting  was  held  to 
determine  what  part  of  beasts  offered  in  sacrifice 
was  due  to  the  gods  and  what  to  men,  he  pre- 
pared a  cunning  device.  He  cut  up  an  ox  and 
divided  it  in  two  portions;  in  one  was  the  flesh 
covered  by  the  hide,  and  in  the  other  the  bones 
temptingly  covered  by  fat.  Then  he  told  Zeus 
once  for  all  to  choose  what  should  be  his  portion. 
And  Zeus,  although  he  saw  the  deceit,  chose  the 
bones  and  fat,  because  he  wanted  to  bring  trouble 
on  Prometheus  and  his  creation,  man.  So  the 
gods  deprived  men  of  fire  and  denied  them  their 
means  of  livelihood,  until  Prometheus  stole  it 
once  more  from  heaven,  bringing  it  secretly  in  a 
hollow  reed.  For  this  defiance  of  his  power  the 
god  punished  Prometheus  by  having  him  bound 
to  a  rock  in  the  Caucasus  Mountains,  where  an 
eagle  ever  tore  at  his  liver,  which  ever  grew  again. 
Although  at  any  time  he  might  have  won  his 
1  Pausanias,  X.  4.  3. 


The  World  of  the  Myths        11 

freedom  by  telling  Zeus  a  secret  which  he  alone 
knew,  the  much-enduring  Titan  bore  this  torture 
for  ages.  The  two  were  at  last  reconciled  and 
Prometheus  set  free,  by  Her'a  cles  (Hercules), 
the  son  of  Zeus,  who,  as  part  divine,  part  human, 
was  suited  to  act  as  mediator  between  the  gods 
and  man's  self-sacrificing  friend  and  benefactor. 

Because  of  the  theft  of  fire,  against  men,  too,  Pandor*. 
Zeus  devised  evil. 

For  fire  will  I  give  them  an  evil  thing  wherein  they 
shall  rejoice,  embracing  their  own  doom.  So  spake 
the  father  of  men  and  gods,  and  laughed  aloud.  And 
he  bade  glorious  Hephaestus  speedily  to  mingle  earth 
with  water,  and  put  therein  human  speech  and  strength, 
and  make,  as  the  deathless  goddesses  to  look  upon,  the 
fair  form  of  a  lovely  maiden.  And  Athena  he  bade 
teach  her  handiwork,  to  weave  the  embroidered  web. 
And  he  bade  golden  Aphrodite  shed  grace  about  her 
head  and  grievous  desire  and  wasting  passion.  And 
Hermes,  the  messenger,  the  slayer  of  Argus,  he  bade 
give  her  a  shameless  soul.  (Hesiod,  Works  and  Days, 
56  ft.  Translation  by  A.  W.  Mair.) 

Now  when  he  had  fashioned  the  beautiful  bane  in 
the  place  of  a  blessing,  he  led  her  forth  where  were  the 
other  gods  and  men.  .  .  .  And  amazement  held  immor- 
tal gods  and  mortal  men,  when  they  beheld  the  sheer  de- 
lusion unescapable  for  men.  For  from  her  cometh 
the  race  of  woman-kind.  .Yea,  of  her  is  the  deadly  race 
and  the  tribes  of  women.  A  great  bane  are  they  to 
dwell  among  mortal  men,  no  help-meet  for  ruinous 
poverty,  but  for  abundance.  (Hesiod,  Theogony,  585  ff. 
Translation  by  A.  W.  Mair.) 


12    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Although  Prometheus  (Forethought)  had  warned 
his  brother  Epimetheus  (Afterthought)  never  to 
accept  anything  from  Zeus,  Epimetheus  fool- 
ishly received  this  woman,  Pan  do'ra,  at  the 
hands  of  the  gods'  messenger,  Hermes.  She 
had  with  her  a  jar  which  she  was  commanded 
on  no  account  to  open.  But  curiosity  was  too 
strong.  The  instant  the  lid  was  raised  out  flew 
ten  thousand  little  winged  plagues,  diseases,  pains, 
and  sins;  no  one  on  earth  could  escape  them. 
Only  Hope  stayed  within  the  mouth  of  the  jar 
and  never  flew  out.  So  in  this  Greek  story  the 
hitherto  peaceful,  innocent  world  received  its 
burden  of  trouble  through  the  curiosity  of  the 
first  woman,  just  as  in  the  Bible  story  the  inno- 
cence of  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  lost  through 
Eve. 
The  Four  The  Greeks  were  not  quite  consistent  in  their 

Ages. 

explanations  of  the  coming  of  sin  and  trouble 
into  the  world,  for  while  in  the  one  account  it 
all  came  when  Pandora  opened  her  jar,  the  ac- 
count of  the  Four  Ages  shows  a  gradual  deteri- 
oration. For,  first  of  all,  in  the  Age  of  Gold 
mortal  men  lived  like  gods,  knowing  neither  sor- 
row nor  toil.  The  generous  earth  bore  fruit  of 
herself,  and  there  was  neither  numbing  frost  nor 
burning  heat  to  make  shelter  necessary.  This 
was  during  the  reign  of  Cronus,  known  among 
the  Romans  as  Saturn.  The  men  of  this  age 
never  grew  old  and  feeble,  but  when  death  came, 


The  World  of  the  Myths        13 

it  came  like  a  peaceful  sleep.  And  when  this 
race  was  hidden  in  the  earth  Zeus  made  of  them 
good  spirits  who  watch  over  mortals.  The  sec- 
ond race,  that  of  the  Silver  Age,  the  gods  made 
inferior  to  the  first  in  mind  and  body.  The  time 
of  helpless  infancy  was  long,  and  the  time  of 
manhood  short  and  troubled,  for  they  could  not 
refrain  from  injuring  one  another,  and  they  failed 
to  give  worship  and  sacrifice  to  the  gods.  Yet 
the  men  of  this  age,  too,  had  some  honor,  and 
lived  on  as  spirits  under  the  earth.  Next  came 
the  Age  of  Bronze,  when  men  insolently  delighted 
in  war.  Of  bronze  were  their  homes,  of  bronze 
their  armor,  and  their  hearts  were  as  hard  as 
their  weapons.  Last  of  all  was  the  Age  of  Iron. 
By  day  there  was  no  end  to  their  weariness  and 
woe,  nor  by  night  to  their  anxieties.  Family 
love  was  lost,  parents  neglected,  and  friendship 
and  the  rights  of  hospitality  forgotten.  Might 
became  right,  and  respect  for  truth  and  plighted 
faith  was  made  of  no  account.  Reverence  and 
Justice,  veiling  their  heads,  forsook  men  and 
withdrew  to  Olympus. 

When  Zeus,  then,  saw  how  utterly  wicked  men  The  Flood  of 

Deucalion. 

had  become,  he  resolved  to  clear  the  earth  of 
them  all.  To  the  council  summoned  in  heaven 
destruction  by  fire  seemed  a  method  too  danger- 
ous to  the  homes  of  the  gods;  a  flood  over  the 
earth  was  a  safer  plan.  To  this  end,  Zeus  shut 
up  the  north  wind  and  all  the  others  that  drive 


14    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

away  the  clouds,  and  sent  out  the  rainy  south 
wind,  and  he  called  upon  his  brother  Poseidon 
to  let  out  the  waters  under  his  control.  The 
flood  spread  over  the  fields  and  broke  .down  the 
standing  grain;  it  carried  away  the  flocks  with 
their  shepherds,  the  houses  and  the  holy  shrines. 
Sea  and  land,  all  was  one  now,  a  limitless  ocean. 
Fishes  swam  in  and  out  among  the  branches  of 
the  trees,  and  awkward  seals  stretched  them- 
selves where  lately  the  nimble  goats  had  played. 
The  water-nymphs  swam  wonderingly  among  the 
houses.  The  birds,  flying  long  in  search  of  a  rest- 
ing-place, fell  exhausted  in  the  watery  waste. 
The  human  race  perished,  all  but  the  son  of 
Prometheus,  Deu  ca'li  on,  and  his  wife  Pyrrha. 
These  good  people,  taught  beforehand  by  the 
wise  Titan,  had  constructed  a  great  chest  in  which 
they  had  gathered  all  that  was  necessary  for  life, 
and  when  the  flood  came  they  took  refuge  in  it 
themselves,  and  floated  for  nine  days  until  the 
chest  touched  ground  once  more  on  Mt.  Parnas- 
sus. When  Zeus  looked  down  and  saw  all  the 
violent  race  of  men  swept  off  the  earth,  and  only 
this  one  man,  a  lover  of  justice  and  a  devout 
worshiper  of  the  gods,  left  alive  with  his  wife, 
he  called  upon  the  north  wind  to  disperse  the 
clouds  and  upon  Poseidon  to  recall  his  waters. 
Then  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  stepped  out  of  the 
chest  and  saw  a  waste  and  unpeopled  earth  about 
them,  and  in  their  loneliness  they  called  upon 


The  World  of  the  Myths        15 

the  gods  for  help.  The  oracle  made  answer  that 
they  should  cast  behind  them  the  bones  of  their 
mother.  Knowing  that  the  god  could  never  or- 
der them  to  be  guilty  of  the  impiety  of  disturbing 
the  tomb  of  their  mortal  parent,  Deucalion  di- 
vined the  true  meaning  of  the  mysterious  com- 
mand. The  earth  is  the  mother  of  all  and  the 
stones  are  her  bones.  With  heads  reverently 
veiled  they  descended  the  mountain,  casting 
stones  behind  them.  Those  that  Deucalion  threw 
assumed  the  forms  of  men,  those  that  Pyrrha 
threw,  the  forms  of  women.  So  the  earth  was 
repeopled.2 

2  Apollodorus,  I.  7;  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  I.  260  ff. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  GODS  OF  OLYMPUS:  ZEUS 

Mt,  oiympus.  WHILE  the  gods  of  the  Greek  religion  were 
personifications  of  natural  powers,  yet  they  were 
conceived  after  the  fashion  of  human  beings,  both 
in  bodily  form  and  in  their  needs  and  passions. 
They  were  born,  grew,  married,  and  suffered, 
though  death  never  came  to  them.  These  beings, 
like  men,  only  greater  and  more  beautiful,  must 
have  cities  and  homes  like  those  of  men,  only 
greater  and  more  beautiful.  So  the  Greeks  of 
the  mainland  looked  up  to  the  cloud-capped  peak 
of  Mt.  Olympus,  majestic,  mysterious,  eternally 
enduring,  and  saw  there,  under  the  arch  of 
heaven,  the  golden  halls  of  the  divine  city. 

There,  as  they  say,  is  the  seat  of  the  gods  that  stand- 
eth  fast  forever.  Not  by  winds  is  it  shaken,  nor  ever 
wet  with  rain,  nor  doth  the  snow  come  nigh  thereto, 
but  most  clear  air  is  spread  about  it  cloudless,  and  the 
white  light  floats  over  it.  Therein  the  blessed  gods  are 
glad  for  all  their  days.  (Odyssey,  VI.  42  ff.) 

It  was  a  true  celestial  city,  conceived  after  the 
model  of  the  Greek  city-states.  At  the  gates  of 
cloud  the  Hours  stood  as  guardians,  within  the 
walls  rose  the  palaces  of  the  gods,  and  on  the 

16 


Fig.  3.    Zeus. 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus     19 

topmost  peak,  the  acropolis,  was  the  great  hall 
where  the  members  of  the  Olympic  Council  gath- 
ered for  deliberation  or  for  feasting.  Ambrosia 
was  the  food  served  at  these  banquets,  and  nectar, 
poured  into  the  cups  by  Hebe,  the  goddess  of 
youth,  nourished  the  ichor  flowing  in  the  gods' 
veins  instead  of  blood.  The  nostrils  of  the  feast- 
ers  were  filled  with  the  rich  odor  of  sacrifices  of- 
fered on  earth,  and  their  ears  charmed  by  the 
songs  the  Muses  sang  to  the  accompaniment  of 
Apollo's  lyre. 

In  the  place  of  honor  sat  Zeus  on  his  golden  zeus 

(Jupiter) , 

throne,  and  Hera,  his  sister  and  wife,  sat  beside 
him,  while  about  them  assembled  the  other  ten 
Olympians,  all  brothers,  sisters,  sons,  or  daugh- 
ters of  the  "  father  of  gods  and  king  of  men." 
For  after  his  victory  over  the  Titans  Zeus  ruled 
supreme  over  heaven  and  earth.  He  challenges 
the  other  Olympians  to  dispute  his  power : 

Go  to  now,  ye  gods,  make  trial  that  ye  all  may  know. 
Fasten  ye  a  rope  of  gold  from  Heaven,  and  all  ye  gods 
lay  hold  thereof  and  all  goddesses;  yet  could  ye  not 
drag  from  Heaven  to  earth  Zeus,  counselor  supreme, 
not  though  ye  toiled  sore.  But  once  I  likewise  were 
minded  to  draw  with  all  my  heart,  then  should  I  draw 
you  up  with  very  earth  and  sea  withal.  ...  By  so 
much  am  I  beyond  gods  and  beyond  men.  (Iliad, 
VIII.  18  ff.) 

As  sky-god  he  drew  the  clouds  over  the  face 
of  heaven,  sending  storm  and  rain  upon  the  earth, 


2O    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

or  he  dispersed  them  and  looked  down  over  all 
as  a  benignant  father.  The  weapon  of  his  anger 
was  the  thunderbolt;  Victory  stood  at  his  right 
hand.  Yet  his  rule  was  not  one  of  arbitrary 
violence;  he  was  the  author  and  promoter  of 
law  and  order,  of  a  civilized  and  regulated  inter- 
course between  men,  of  hospitality  and  just  treat- 
ment of  man  by  man.  Hesiod  calls  upon  the 
Muses  to  sing  of  him  in  words  that  recall  the 
song  of  the  Virgin  Mary: 

Muses  of  Pieria,  who  glorify  with  song,  come  sing  of 
Zeus  your  father,  and  declare  his  praise,  through  whom 
are  men  famed  and  un famed,  sung  and  unsung,  as  Zeus 
Almighty  will.  Lightly  he  giveth  strength,  and  lightly 
he  afflicteth  the  strong;  lightly  he  bringeth  low  the 
mighty  and  lifteth  up  the  humble ;  lightly  he  maketh  the 
crooked  to  be  straight  and  withereth  the  proud  as 
chaff;  Zeus,  who  thundereth  in  Heaven,  who  dwelleth 
in  the  height.  (Hesiod,  Works  and  Days,  i  ff.) 

HIS  marriage  Zeus  was  married  to  his  sister,  "Hera  of  the 
golden  throne,"  a  beautiful,  queenly  goddess,  yet, 
as  Homer  portrays  her,  a  very  human  woman, 
implacably  jealous  of  Zeus's  other  loves,  in- 
triguing to  get  her  own  way,  using  against  her 
lord  all  the  traditional  weapons  of  a  woman.  For 
all  his  power  and  majesty,  Olympian  Zeus  went 
in  dread  of  his  wife's  reproaches  and  persistency 
and  drew  the  thickest  of  clouds  between  them 
when  he  indulged  in  any  pleasure  of  which  she 
would  not  approve.  Though  she  had  no  choice 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus     21 

but  to  yield  when  he  asserted  his  will,  she  re- 
served to  herself  the  compensation  of  taunts  and 
a  sullen  demeanor.  On  one  occasion  when  he 
had  promised  a  favor  to  another  of  the  god- 
desses, this  altercation  took  place : 

Anon  with  taunting  words  spake  she  to  Zeus,  the  son 
of  Cronus,  "  Now  who  among  the  gods,  thou  crafty  of 
mind,  hath  devised  counsel  with  thee?  It  is  ever  thy 
good  pleasure  to  hold  aloof  from  me  and  in  sweet  med- 
itation to  give  thy  judgments,  nor  of  thine  own  good 
will  hast  thou  ever  brought  thyself  to  declare  unto  me 
the  thing  thou  purposeth." 

Then  the  father  of  gods  and  men  made  answer  to 
her :  "  Hera,  think  not  thou  to  know  all  my  sayings ; 
hard  are  they  for  thee,  even  though  thou  art  my  wife. 
But  whichsoever  it  is  seemly  for  thee  to  hear,  none 
sooner  than,  thou  shalt  know,  be  he  god  or  man.  Only 
when  I  will  to  take  thought  aloof  from  the  gods,  then 
do  not  thou  ask  of  every  matter  nor  make  question.'.' 

.  .  .  He  said,  and  Hera  the  ox-eyed  queen  was 
afraid,  and  sat  in  silence,  curbing  her  heart.  (Iliad,  I. 
539  ff.) 

Though  Hera  was  Zeus's  queen  and  lawful  ms  otter 
wife,  he  united  himself  with  many  other  god- 
desses and  mortal  women.  Many  of  these  unions 
originated  as  symbols  of  natural  facts,  others  as 
symbols  of  philosophic  truths.  Thus  as  sky-god, 
god  of  sun  and  rain,  Zeus  must  join  in  marriage 
union  with  De  me'ter,  the  grain-goddess,  that 
Per  seph'o  ne,  the  young  corn  of  the  new  year, 
may  be  born.  Again,  as  the  great,  creating,  regu- 


22    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

lating  mind,  he  must  unite  with  Mnemosyne 
(nemos'ine)  or  Memory,  that  the  Nine  Muses, 
the  goddesses  of  poetry,  music,  and  science,  may 
draw  from  father  and  mother  what  is  needed  for 
all  great  creative  work.  But  the  extraordinary 
number  of  Zeus's  unions  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
Greek  mythology  was  not  the  creation  or  in- 
heritance of  one  land  and  people,  but  was  drawn 
from  the  religion  and  traditions  of  Greeks  in 
many  different  lands  and  under  many  different 
conditions.  The  religious  traditions  of  many 
peoples  with  whom  the  Greeks  had  intercourse 
were  incorporated  by  them  into  their  own 
mythology.  Moreover,  each  Greek  state  had  its 
own  local  hero,  the  ancestor  or  early  king  of  that 
group,  and  these  heroes  were  always  of  divine 
origin,  very  many  of  them  the  sons  of  Zeus  by 
mortal  women.  Thus  the  Arcadians  traced  their 
descent  from  Areas,  a  son  of  Callisto  by  Zeus,  of 
whose  love  the  following  story  is  told. 

Cal  lis'to  was  a  nymph,  a  favorite  companion 
of  the  huntress  Ar'te  mis.  One  day,  wandering 
alone  in  the  woods,  she  lay  down  upon  the  ground 
to  rest.  Zeus  saw  her  there,  and  thinking  him- 
self quite  safe  from  the  jealous  eyes  of  Hera, 
came  down  secretly  and  wooed  her.  Callisto 
would  gladly  have  escaped  the  attentions  of  the 

'Following  the  story  as  told  by  the  Latin  poet  Ovid 
(Metamorphoses,  II.  410  ff.),  but  retaining  the  original 
Greek  names. 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus     23 

god  and  gone  to  rejoin  Artemis  and  her  nymphs ; 
but  who  could  withstand  Zeus!  Artemis,  who, 
as  herself  a  maiden,  would  have  none  but  maidens 
in  her  company,  turned  Callisto  away  when  she 
would  have  rejoined  her.  Solitary  and  sad  the 
nymph  lived  in  the  woods  until  she  bore  to  Zeus 
a  son,  Areas.  Now  Zeus's  love  for  Callisto  was 
known  to  Hera.  "  You  shall  not  go  unpunished," 
said  she  to  the  nymph,  "  for  I  shall  take  away 
that  beauty  by  which  you  charmed  my  husband's 
love."  In  vain  Callisto  begged  for  pity.  Her 
arms  began  to  be  covered  with  coarse  black  hair ; 
crooked  claws  grew  from  her  hands,  which  now 
served  as  forefeet;  that  face  which  once  aroused 
Zeus's  love  was  deformed  by  huge  ugly  jaws. 
When  she  would  have  prayed  for  mercy,  the 
power  to  speak  was  taken  from'  her,  and  an  angry 
frightened  growl  was  all  that  she  could  utter. 
But  under  her  bear's  form  her  human  heart,  her 
grief  and  her  love  remained.  How  often  in  her 
solitary  anguish,  fearing  to  rest  in  the  dark 
woods,  she  sought  her  old  home!  How  often 
she  was  driven  away  by  the  barking  dogs !  Once 
herself  a  huntress,  she  was  now  the  hunted. 
Often  she  hid  from  the  bears  she  met  in  the  moun- 
tains, forgetful  that  she  was  now  of  their  kind. 
So  fifteen  troubled  years  passed.  One  day  her 
son  Areas,  out  hunting  wild  beasts,  met  with  his 
mother  in  the  forest.  She  recognized  her  child 
and  ran  to  greet  him.  Terrified  by  the  rush  of 


24    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  great  bear,  he  aimed  at  her  his  hunting-spear. 
Zeus  checked  his  blow  and  raised  Callisto  to  the 
heavens,  where  he  set  her  as  the  constellation  of 
the  Great  Bear.  Hera's  jealousy  was  not  at  all 
satisfied  by  this.  "Behold  I  took  from  her  her 
human  form  and  now  she  is  made  a  goddess! 
Is  this  the  punishment  for  a  guilty  woman!  Is 
this  my  power!  "  She  went  to  the  sea-gods  and 
prayed  that  they  would  never  permit  Callisto  to 
dip  below  their  waves.  The  prayer  was  granted, 
and  thus  it  is  that  the  Great  Bear  can  always  be 
seen  in  the  heavens  and  never  sinks  below  the 
waters. 

ID.*  Another  story  that  shows  the  unrelenting 
hatred  with  which  Hera  pursued  those  favored  by 
Zeus  is  that  of  lo. 

lo  was  the  daughter  of  In'a  chus,  a  river-god. 
Zeus  loved  and  wooed  and  won  her,  coming  to 
her  secretly  under  cover  of  a  cloud  spread  be- 
tween their  meeting-place  and  Hera's  watchful 
eyes.  But  the  jealous  queen,  looking  down  upon 
the  realm  of  Argos,  and  wondering  to  see  the 
low-lying  cloud  under  a  clear  sky,  at  once  sus- 
pected some  wrong-doing  on  her  husband's  part. 
She  glided  down  from  heaven  and  bade  the  cloud 
recede.  Zeus,  however,  had  foreseen  the  com- 
ing of  his  wife  and  had  changed  the  daughter  of 
Inachus  into  a  beautiful  white  heifer.  Suspect- 
ing the  trick,  Hera  requested  the  heifer  as  a  gift, 
4  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  I.  583  ff. 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus     25 

and  Zeus  was  constrained  to  yield  or  acknowledge 
his  love.  lo  was  given  by  her  mistress  in  charge 
of  Argus,  a  monster  of  whose  hundred  eyes  but 
two  were  closed  at  one  time.  When  she  would 
have  held  out  supplicating  hands  to  Argus,  she 
had  no  hands  to  hold  out.  When  she  tried  to 
speak,  she  was  terrified  by  her  own  lowing.  She 
came  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Inachus  where  she 
was  wont  to  play;  when  she  saw  the  reflection 
of  her  great  mouth  and  new- formed  horns,  she 
fled  from  her  own  image  in  terror.  The  Naiads 
did  not  know  her;  her  own  father  Inachus  did 
not  know  her.  She  followed  her  father  and  sis- 
ters and  offered  herself  to  be  petted  and  admired. 
She  licked  their  hands  and  kissed  her  father's 
palms,  nor  could  she  keep  back  the  big  tears  from 
rolling  down  her  nose.  At  last  with  her  hoof 
she  traced  in  the  sand  the  letters  of  her  own  name, 
lo.  "  Woe  is  me !  "  cried  her  father,  and  fell 
upon  the  heifer's  neck.  "  I  have  sought  you 
through  all  lands.  Better  were  it  that  I  had  never 
found  you."  Hundred-eyed  Argus  parted  them 
as  they  lamented,  and  put  her  in  a  new  pasture. 
But  Zeus  could  not  endure  to  see  her  so  unhappy. 
He  sent  Hermes,  his  son  and  messenger,  most 
wily  of  gods,  to  destroy  the  ever-watchful  Argus. 
Laying  aside  his  winged  sandals  and  disguised 
as  a  shepherd,  Hermes  approached  Argus,  who, 
weary  of  his  lonely  and  tedious  watch,  called  to 
him  to  come  and  share  the  shade  of  his  tree. 


26    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Seated  beside  Argus,  Hermes  piped  to  him  charm- 
ingly on  his  shepherd's  pipes,  varying  with  song 
the  long  stories  with  which  he  beguiled  the  hours. 
Two  by  two  the  hundred  eyes  were  closed,  until 
at  last  no  eye  was  awake  to  watch  his  charge. 
Hermes  at  once  slew  him  and  set  lo  free.  The 
hundred  eyes  Hera  took  and  placed  in  the  tail 
of  her  sacred  peacock,  where  they  may  be  seen 
to-day.  But  her  jealous  wrath  still  pursued  un- 
fortunate lo.  She  sent  a  gad-fly  to  torment  her 
and  drive  her  from  land  to  land.  In  her  weary 
search  for  peace,  the  heifer  passed  over  the 
strait  that  divides  Europe  from  Asia,  whence  it 
derives  its  name,  Bosphorus,  the  way  of  the  cow. 
Over  the  sea,  too,  that  bears  her  name,  the  Ionian 
Sea,  she  wandered,  until  at  last  she  arrived  in 
Egypt,  where  she  was  restored  to  her  natural 
form  and  gave  birth  to  a  son,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Ionian  Greeks. 

Antiope.  An  ti'o  pe  was  the  daughter  of  the  king  of 
Thebes.  By  Zeus  she  became  the  mother  of  two 
sons  Am  phi'on  and  Zethus.  Immediately  after 
their  birth  the  babies  were  taken  from  her  and 
exposed  on  Mt.  Cithaeron,  where  they  grew  up 
among  the  shepherds.  Antiope  fell  into  the  power 
of  her  uncle  Lycus,  whose  wife  Dirce  treated 
her  with  the  greatest  cruelty.  After  some  years 
she  made  her  escape  and  fled  to  Mt.  Cithreron, 
where  she  happened  to  take  refuge  in  the  hut 
where  her  sons  lived.  As  one  of  a  company  of 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus    27 

Bacchantes,  votaries  of  the  wine-god  Bacchus, 
Dirce  came,  by  chance,  to  the  same  place,  and 
finding  the  hated  Antiope,  she  ordered  Amphion 
and  Zethus  to  kill  her  by  tying  her  to  the  horns 


Fig.  4.     Dirce  tied  to  the  bull. 

of  a  fierce  bull.  They  were  about  to  carry  out 
this  barbarous  command  when  the  shepherd  in- 
formed them  that  the  victim  was  their  own 
mother.  Releasing  her,  they  now  executed  the 


28    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

same  sentence  on  Dirce,  who  was  instantly  torn 
in  pieces  by  the  angry  bull.  Lycus,  too,  was 
killed,  and  the  brothers  became  kings  of  Thebes. 
It  is  said  that  when  they  were  building  walls 
about  the  city  Zethus'  strength  enabled  him  to 
lift  huge  stones  into  place,  but  that  Amphion's 
skill  as  a  musician  was  so  great  that  when  he 
played  his  lyre  stones  yet  more  huge  rose  of 
themselves  and  took  their  places  in  the  wall. 

The  story  of  Baucis  and  Phi  le'mon  shows  how 
Zeus  could  reward  those  who  respected  the  law 
of  hospitality  and  punish  those  who  violated  it. 
Baucis  and       in  a  certain  place  where  now  is  a  marsh  fre- 

f  buemon.D 

quented  by  wild  birds  was  once  a  village.  Here 
Zeus  came  in  the  guise  of  a  mortal,  and  with  him 
his  son  Hermes,  winged  sandals  laid  aside.  They 
went  to  a  thousand  dwellings  seeking  rest  and 
refreshment;  all  were  barred  against  them.  Yet 
one,  a  little  house  thatched  with  reeds,  received 
them.  Here  good  old  Baucis  and  her  husband 
Philemon  had  grown  old  together,  making  hap- 
piness even  out  of  their  poverty  by  bearing  it 
together  with  contented  hearts.  Here  then  came 
the  Immortals,  and  bending  down  their  heads  en- 
tered the  low  door.  The  old  man  placed  a  seat 
and  bade  them  sit  down,  while  Baucis  bustled  to 
throw  over  it  a  coarse  covering.  Then  she  gath- 
ered together  the  dying  embers,  added  dry  leaves 
and  fuel  and  blew  it  into  a  flame  with  her  feeble 
5  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  VIII.  620  ff. 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus    29 

breath.  Her  husband  brought  in  a  cabbage  from 
the  little  garden,  cut  a  fat  piece  from  the  long- 
cherished  flitch  of  bacon,  and  put  them  over  the 
fire  to  cook.  They  shook  up  their  cushion  of 
soft  sedge-grass,  laid  it  on  the  dining-couch,  and 
put  over  it  a  covering  that,  poor  and  patched 
though  it  was,  they  used  only  on  great  festivals. 
While  the  gods  reclined  on  the  couch,  the  trem- 
bling old  woman,  with  skirts  tucked  up,  set  out 
the  table.  One  foot  of  the  table  was  uneven; 
a  brick  steadied  it,  and  a  handful  of  greens  cleaned 
off  the  top.  The  feast  began  with  olives,  stewed 
berries,  endive,  radishes,  cottage-cheese,  and  eggs 
carefully  fried,  all  served  in  earthenware  dishes. 
After  this  the  mixing-bowl  and  cups,  made  of 
beech-wood  lined  with  smooth  wax,  were  set  out 
for  the  wine  —  not  rich  old  wine,  but  the  best 
they  had.  There  were  nuts,  figs,  dried  dates, 
plums,  and  fragrant  apples  served  in  baskets,  and 
purple  grapes  gathered  from  the  vines,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  table  the  honey-comb.  Above 
all  there  were  cordial  looks  and  eager  good-will. 
And  now  the  astonished  couple  began  to  notice 
that  the  mixing-bowl,  as  often  as  it  was  emptied, 
filled  up  again  of  its  own  accord.  They  trem- 
bled, and  holding  out  their  hands  in  supplication, 
asked  forgiveness  for  the  humble  fare.  There 
was  one  single  goose,  the  guardian  of  the  little 
farm;  this  its  masters  now  prepared  to  slaughter 
for  their  divine  guests.  It  escaped  them,  and 


30    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

flapping  its  wings,  dodged  about  the  little  room 
and  at  last  took  refuge  at  the  feet  of  the  gods. 
The  Immortals  forbade  its  slaughter.  "  We  are 
gods,"  said  they,  "  and  while  this  neighborhood 
pays  the  penalty  for  its  inhospitality,  you  shall 
be  free  from  misfortune.  Leave  your  house  and 
follow  us."  The  two  old  people  obeyed  and, 
hobbling  along  with  their  sticks,  climbed  the  hill. 
When  a  little  way  from  the  top,  they  looked  back 
and  saw  all  the  village  covered  by  a  marsh ;  only 
their  own  house  was  left.  While  they  wondered 
and  bewailed  their  neighbors'  fate,  that  little  old 
hut  of  theirs  was  transformed.  In  place  of  the 
forked  sticks  supporting  a  roof  thatched  with 
reeds,  rose  marble  columns  crowned  with  gilded 
beams;  the  doors  were  of  embossed  metal,  and 
the  pavement  of  marble.  Then  the  son  of  Cronus 
spoke :  "  Ask,  righteous  old  man  and  worthy 
woman,  what  you  will."  Philemon  consulted  a 
moment  with  Baucis  and  then  answered :  "  We 
ask  to  be  priests  and  to  keep  your  shrines;  and 
since  we  have  lived  happily  together,  let  the  same 
hour  take  us  both,  and  let  me  never  see  the  grave 
of  my  wife  nor  have  to  be  buried  by  her  hands." 
Their  prayer  was  granted;  they  were  guardians 
of  the  temple  as  long  as  they  lived.  One  day  as 
they  stood  side  by  side  before  the  temple  each 
saw  a  change  come  over  the  other.  Now  their 
forms,  bent  with  age,  grew  straight  and  strong 
and  rooted  firmly  in  the  earth.  Then  as  the  wav- 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus    31 

ing  tree-tops  grew  over  their  heads,  each  said: 
"Farewell,  O  Wife!  O  Husband!"  and  then 
the  bark  covered  their  mouths.  And  so,  in  after 
years,  the  shepherds  pointed  out  the  oak  and  the 
linden  growing  side  by  side,  and  said :  "  The 


Fig.  5.    Head   of   Zeus. 

gods  care  for  the  godly,  and  protect  those  who 
do  them  service." 

Zeus  was  represented  in  art  as  a  man  of  gener-  zeus:  MS 

,      .,,  ,  .        .      ,  11        j  j    appearance 

ous  build  and  majestic  bearing,  usually  draped  and  worship, 
from  the  waist  down.     His  head  was  massive, 
his  brows  heavy,  his  hair  and  beard  extremely 


32     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

thick,  as  though  his  face  looked  out  from  masses 
of  piled  thunder-clouds.  Beneath  his  overhang- 
ing eyebrows  gleamed  those  eyes  whose  glance 
was  lightning,  and  the  heavily  lined  forehead 
foreboded  that  frown  at  which  the  heavens  shook. 
His  whole  appearance  was  that  of  the  majestic 
and  powerful  god  of  heaven  and  earth.  He  was 
generally  represented  as  seated  upon  a  throne, 
holding  in  one  hand  his  scepter  or  a  spear,  and 
in  the  other  his  weapons,  the  winged  thunderbolts. 
With  him  often  appeared  the  eagle,  the  bird  that 
by  his  bold  heavenward  flight  and  lightning- 
descent  upon  his  prey  was  associated  with  the 
sky-god.  On  his  scepter  or  beside  him  appeared 
a  winged  female  figure,  Victory,  for  he  held  the 
balances  of  fate  and  gave  victory  to  this  or  that 
warrior  as  he  willed.  Among  the  Greeks  them- 
selves the  statue  most  admired  was  that  of  gold 
and  ivory  set  up  in  the  temple  at  Olympia,  in 
southern  Greece.  Before  this  representation  of 
the  greatest  of  their  gods,  Greeks  from  all  parts 
of  the  Hellenic  world  met  once  in  every  four 
years  to  offer  sacrifice  and  to  compete  in  athletic 
contests,  honoring  their  divinity  by  the  exhibition 
of  perfect  bodies  under  perfect  control.  So  great 
was  the  honor  paid  to  successful  contestants  that 
the  most  famous  lyric  poets  of  Greece  devoted 
their. genius  to  celebrating  them  in  hymns,  which 
were  sung  by  choruses  to  the  accompaniment  of 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus    33 


Fig.  6.    View  of  ruins  at  Olympia. 

the  lyre  or  flute  when  the  victors  returned  to  their 
own  cities  in  triumphal  state.  Moreover,  the 
greatest  sculptors  joined  to  do  them  honor;  for 
the  proudest  glory  of  an  Olympic  victor  was  the 
right  he  gained  of  having  his  statue  set  up  in  the 
precinct  of  the  god.  As  one  walks  now  through 
the  ruins  at  Olympia,  here  he  can  make  out  the 
plan  of  the  palestra  in  whose  wide  spaces  Greek 
youth  wrestled,  ran  races,  rivaled  one  another  in 
throwing  the  discus.  Here  was  the  long  colon- 
nade or  stoa  beneath  whose  shade  poets  read 
their  works;  in  front,  long  rows  of  statues  of 
youths,  nude  as  they  appeared  when  winning  their 


34    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

victories.  Here  was  the  line  of  treasuries  of 
all  the  states  of  Greece,  and  in  the  center,  even 
now  impressive  for  the  great  drums  of  its  col- 
umns, fallen  and  piled  in  confusion  by  the  earth- 
quakes of  centuries,  rise  the  high  foundations  of 
the  great  temple  of  Olympian  Zeus. 

At  Do  do'na,  in  Epirus,  was  a  famous  oracle 
of  Zeus,  one  of  the  oldest  holy  places  in  all  Greece. 
Here  the  priestess  read  the  will  of  the  god  from 
the  sound  of  the  rustling  leaves  of  the  great  oak, 
a  tree  especially  sacred  to  Zeus.  In  every  part 
of  the  Greek  world  were  places  set  apart  for  his 
worship,  and  each  state  claimed  his  favor  for 
some  special  reason.  As  late  as  early  Christian 
times  in  Crete  the  grave  of  Zeus  was  pointed 
out,  for  conceptions  of  immortal  gods  were 
strangely  combined  with  thoughts  of  death. 
Jupiter.  Zeus  was  identified  by  the  Romans  with  their 
old  Latin  god,  Jupiter  or  Jove,  and  the  stories 
told  of  the  one  were  transferred  to  the  other. 
Jupiter  was  originally  a  sky-god,  as  Zeus  was, 
and  king  of  gods  and  men.  Temples  in  his 
honor  crowned  many  high  hills  in  Italy,  and  he 
was  called  upon  to  send  rain  in  time  of  drought. 
On  the  Alban  Mount  the  temple  of  Jupiter 
Latiaris  was  the  religious  center  of  the  Latin 
Confederacy.  Jupiter  Optimus  Maximus  was 
worshiped  on  the  Capitoline  Hill  at  Rome  as 
guardian  of  the  state  and  giver  of  victory  in 


The  Gods  of  Olympus:    Zeus    35 

war,  and  to  him  generals  returning  victorious  to 
celebrate  a  triumph  offered  the  best  of  the  spoils 
of  war.  Like  Zeus,  the  Roman  Jupiter  was  pro- 
tector of  right  and  truth  and  the  sanctity  of 
oaths. 


CHAPTER  III 
HERA,  ATHENA,  HEPHAESTUS 

I.    HERA    (JUNO) 

I  sing  of  golden-throned  Hera,  whom  Rhea  bore,  an 
immortal  queen,  in  beauty  preeminent,  the  sister  and 
the  bride  of  loud-thundering  Zeus,  the  lady  renowned, 
whom  all  the  Blessed  throughout  high  Olympus  honor 
and  revere  no  less  than  Zeus  whose  delight  is  in  the 
thunder.  (Homeric  Hymn  to  Hera.  Translation  by 
Andrew  Lang.) 

The  wife       As  wife  of  the  supreme  god,  Hera  was  naturally 

of  Zeus. 

the  guardian  of  the  marriage  state.  The  bride 
sacrificed  to  her,  and  matrons  of  the  city  were 
the  priestesses  of  her  temple.  At  Samos  the  an- 
nual celebration  of  her  marriage  with  Zeus  was 
the  greatest  of  festivals.  By  Zeus  she  had  three 
children,  Ares  (Mars),  god  of  war,  Hephaestus 
(Vulcan),  god  of  the  forge,  and  Hebe,  goddess 
of  youth.  Though  Hebe  was  originally  also 
cup-bearer  to  the  gods,  for  some  reason,  perhaps 
because  she  slipped  one  day  when  pouring  the 
nectar,  she  was  displaced  by  Gan'ymede,  a  Tro- 
jan prince.  Zeus  saw  the  boy  on  earth  and  loved 
him  for  his  boyish  charm  and  beauty.  Assum- 
ing the  form  of  his  royal  eagle,  the  god  came 

36 


Fig.  7.    Hera. 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        39 

upon  Ganymede  when  he  was  watching  his  flocks 
on  Mt.  Ida,  and  carried  him  off  to  Olympus  to 
be  his  cup-bearer.  This  aroused  Hera's  anger, 
not  only  against  her  husband  but  against  the  whole 
race  of  Trojans,  whom  ever  after  she  pursued 
with  relentless  hatred.  Indeed  all  Zeus's  favor- 


Fig.  8.    Ganymede  and  the  Eagle. 

ites  among  mortals  and  his  children  by  mortal 
wives  were  objects  of  jealous  hate  to  Hera. 

Iris  was  the  wind-footed,  fleet  messenger  of  iris. 
Hera,  who  bore  her  commands  to  other  gods 
and  to  mortals.     As  she  flew  down  from  Olympus 
men  knew  of  her  coming  by  the  many-colored 
trail  she  left  behind  her;  for  Iris  was  the  rain- 


Appearance 
uid   emblems. 


Juno. 


The  Birth 
of  Atbena. 


40    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

bow,  the  symbol  of  connection  between  earth  and 

heaven. 

Greek  artists  conceived  of  Hera  as  a  woman 

in  the  full  bloom  of  her  age,  of  majestic  form 
and  carriage,  with  a  serene 
and  beautiful  face,  a  concep- 
tion inspired  by  the  ideal  for 
which  she  stood,  the  queenly 
protector  of  wifehood  and 
motherhood.  As  a  matron 
she  was  portrayed  clad  in  a 
long  full  garment,  and  on 
her  head  a  crown.  Often  she 
held  a  scepter,  sometimes  a 
pomegranate,  the  symbol  of 
fertility  for  women  and 
plants.  Beside  her  often  ap- 
pears the  peacock,  his  tail 
adorned  by  the  hundred  Ar- 
gus eyes.  (See  p.  26.) 
Corresponding  to  Hera  as  wife  of  Zeus,  in 

Roman  worship  stood  Juno,  the  wife  of  Jupiter. 

She  too  in  old  times  had  been  the  special  guardian 

of  women  and  the  marriage-tie. 

n.  ATHENA  (MINERVA) 

Of  all  the  children  of  Zeus  the  one  who  most 
resembled  her  father  in  nature  and  power  and 
who  most  enjoyed  his  respect  and  confidence  was 
the  maiden  goddess,  Pallas  Athena.  The  story 


Fig.  9.    Head    of 
Hera. 


Fig.  10.    Athena   (known  as  "  Lemnian  Athena"). 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        43 

of  her  birth  is  consistent  with  this  special  rela- 
tion, since  she  sprang,  fully  grown  and  fully 
armed,  from  the  head  of  Zeus. 

Her  did  Zeus  the  counselor  beget  from  his  holy  head 
all  armed  for  war  in  shining  golden  mail,  while  in  awe 
did  the  other  gods  behold  it.  Quickly  did  the  goddess 
leap  from  the  immortal  head,  and  stood  before  Zeus, 
shaking  her  sharp  spear,  and  high  Olympus  trembled 
in  dread  beneath  the  strength  of  the  gray-eyed  maiden, 


Pig.  II.    Birth  of  Athena  from  the  head  of  Zeus. 

while  earth  rang  terribly  around,  and  the  sea  was  boil- 
ing with  dark  waves,  and  suddenly  brake  forth  the 
foam.  Yea,  and  the  glorious  son  of  Hyperion  checked 
for  long  his  swift  steeds,  till  the  maiden  took  from  her 
immortal  shoulders  her  divine  armor,  even  Pallas 
Athena;  and  Zeus  the  counselor  rejoiced.  Hail  to 
thee,  child  of  aegis-bearing  Zeus.  (Homeric  Hymn  to 
Athena.) 

The  birth  of  Athena  is  a  favorite  subject  with  Her  origin 

and  nature. 

Greek  artists.    Zeus  is  represented  seated  upon  his 


44    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

throne,  while  about  him  are  others  of  the  Olym- 
pian divinities.  Before  him  stands  the  god  of 
the  forge,  Hephaestus,  still  grasping  in  his  hand 
the  ax  with  which,  to  assist  the  miraculous  birth, 
he  has  cleft  the  skull  of  Zeus.  Athena  stands 
beside  her  father,  triumphant,  brandishing  her 
spear,  her  breast  protected  by  the  aegis,  or  sacred 
breast-plate,  adorned  with  the  head  of  the  Gor- 
gon Medusa.  (See  p.  209.)  Originally,  in  the 
ancient  nature  myth,  Athena  seems  to  have  rep- 
resented the  waters  of  heaven  let  loose  from  the 
clouds  (represented  by  the  head  of  Zeus)  when 
the  thunderbolt  (the  ax  of  Hephaestus)  cleaves 
them.  The  dreadful  Gorgon's  head  with  its 
snaky  locks,  on  the  breast-plate,  suggests  the 
thunder-cloud  and  the  forked  lightning.  At  an 
[early  time,  however,  Athena  ceased  to  be  regarded 
as  a  nature  goddess  and  was  worshiped  as  god- 
dess of  reason  and  practical  wisdom,  and  as 
patroness  of  arts  and  crafts.  On  the  other  hand, 
she  was  the  goddess  of  war-strategy,  the  de- 
fender of  cities,  especially  her  own  city  of  Ath- 
ens. As  champion  of  civilization  and  justice, 
the  almighty  father  granted  it  to  her  to  wear  his 
aegis.  Thus  she  represents,  as  has  been  well  said, 
"  the  warlike  courage  that  gives  peace,  and  the 
intellectual  activity  that  makes  it  fruitful." 
The  To  Athena,  as  guardian  of  the  city  of  Athens, 

Parthenon. 

was   dedicated   the    Parthenon,   the   temple   that 
crowns  the  height  of  the  Acropolis.     Here  was 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        45 

the  great  gold  and  ivory  statue  by  the  sculptor 
Phidias,  and  hither  each  year  the  Athenians  came 
in  procession  to  offer  to  the  goddess  the  new 
peplos  or  robe,  woven  by  the  women  of  Athens 
as  an  offering  to  the  goddess  of  handicrafts. 

Athena  is  represented  as  of  strong  and  noble 
form,  dressed  in  a  long 
flowing  garment.  Her 
finely  molded  features 
express  courage  and 
high  intellectuality.  In 
addition  to  the  aegis  she 
usually  wears  a  helmet, 
surmounted  by  a  sphinx 
and  griffins,  and  she 
holds  in  her  hand  a 
spear,  or,  frequently,  a 
small  winged  figure  of 
Victory.  Other  em- 
blems are  the  snake  and 
the  owl.  The  emblem 
of  the  olive  is  given  her 
as  guardian  of  the  city 
of  Athens. 


Fig.  12.    Athena  (known  as 
"Minerva   of    Velletri"). 


When  the  great  city  of  Athens  was  founded  The  contest 

0       .  •  over  Athens. 

all  the  gods  desired  to  have  it  as  their  own. 
Athena  and  Poseidon  (Neptune)  were  recog- 
nized as  having  the  best  claim  to  it,  and  it  was 
determined  that  of  the  two  that  one  should  be 
chosen  who  should  give  the  best  gift  to  the  city. 


46    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  twelve  gods  assembled  to  act  as  judges,  and 
Cecrops,  the  king  of  Athens,  served  as  a  wit- 
ness. The  scene  of  the  contest  was  the  height 
of  the  Acropolis.  Poseidon  struck  the  rock 
with  his  trident  and  a  salt  spring  gushed  forth. 
Then  Athena  advanced  and  struck  the  rock  with 
her  spear;  an  olive  tree  sprang  up.  To  Athena 
was  adjudged  the  victory,  for  the  olive  was  al- 
ways a  great  source  of  wealth  to  the  Athenian 
state.  The  sacred  olive  tree  was  preserved  in 
the  temple  precinct,  and  the  story  of  its  mirac- 
ulous sprouting  in  a  night,  when  the  Athenians 
returned  to  rebuild  their  citadel  after  its  burning 
in  the  Persian  Wars,  is  told  by  Greek  historians. 
To  this  d?;  one  may  see,  also,  the  mark  of 
Poseidon's  trident  in  the  rock  below  the  ancient 
temple.  Some  say  that  Poseidon's  gift  was  not 
a  spring,  but  a  horse. 

In  the  story  of  A  rach'ne,  Athena  appears  as 
goddess  of  handicrafts. 

Arachne  was  a  mortal  who  excelled  all  other 
maidens  in  weaving.  Her  work  became  so  fa- 
mous that  the  very  nymphs  deserted  their  woods 
and  streams  to  see  it.  Nor  was  it  more  the 
finished  work  that  excited  this  admiration  than 
the  grace  and  skill  of  the  maiden  while  she  wove. 
One  would  think  that  she  had  been  taught  by 
Pallas.  Yet  she  herself  denied  this  and  chal- 
lenged the  goddess  to  compete  with  her.  Angry 

6  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  VI.   I  ff. 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        47 

at  this  presumption,  the  goddess  determined  to 
humble  her.  She  put  on  the  form  of  a  white- 
haired  old  woman,  her  feeble  limbs  supported  by 
a  stick.  "  Take  the  advice  of  an  old  woman," 
she  said  to  Arachne,  "  you  wish  to  be  called 
more  skilful  than  all  mortal  women;  yield  at 
least  to  the  goddess,  rash  girl,  and  ask  forgive- 
ness for  your  boastful  words."  The  maiden 
angrily  eyed  her  visitor  and  answered  rudely: 
"  You  have  grown  weak-minded  with  old  age. 
If  you  have  any  daughters,  bestow  your  advice 
upon  them!  I  can  attend  to  my  own  affairs. 
Why  does  not  the  goddess  come  herself?  Why 
does  she  avoid  a  trial  of  skill?"  "She  has 
come,"  said  the  goddess,  and  threw  aside  her 
disguise.  The  nymphs  and  all  the  bystanders 
worshiped,  only  the  maiden  was  unterrified,  and 
obstinately  insisted  on  the  contest.  The  daugh- 
ter of  Zeus  did  not  refuse.  Arachne  began  to 
weave ;  she  wove  a  web  as  fine  as  a  spider's.  A 
thousand  colors  were  there,  so  finely  shaded  that 
each  faded  into  the  other  until  the  whole  was 
like  the  rainbow.  Pallas  wove  the  scene  of  her 
contest  with  Poseidon.  There  sat  the  twelve 
gods  in  august  assembly,  kingly  Zeus  in  their 
midst.  There  was  Poseidon  with  his  trident, 
and  Athena  herself,  her  breast  protected  by  the 
aegis,  and  beside  her  the  newly-sprung  olive  tree. 
Then,  that  the  presumptuous  girl  might  learn  by 
example,  Athena  wove  the  stories  of  mortals  who 


48    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

had  dared  to  compete  with  gods  and  had  suffered 
punishment.  But  Arachne  was  not  daunted. 
She  wove  into  her  web  stories  of  the  weaknesses 
and  strifes  of  the  gods,  Zeus  and  his  loves,  and 
jealous  Hera  —  many  were  the  foibles  there  held 
up  to  derision.  Then  about  it  she  wove  a  lovely 
border.  Athena  herself  could  not  but  wonder 
at  the  maiden's  skill,  but  her  arrogance  aroused 
her  resentment.  She  struck  the  delicate  web  with 
her  shuttle,  and  it  crumbled  into  bits;  then  she 
touched  Arachne's  forehead.  A  sense  of  her 
impiety  rushed  over  the  girl;  she  could  not  en- 
dure it,  and  hanged  herself  with  a  skein  of  her 
own  silk.  But  Athena  did  not  wish  that  so  skil- 
ful a  worker  should  die;  she  cut  the  skein  and, 
sprinkling  upon  her  the  juice  of  aconite,  trans- 
formed the  maiden  into  a  spider,  that  through 
all  ages  she  might  continue  to  spin  her  matchless 
webs. 

Minerva.  Minerva  was  an  old  Etruscan  goddess  whom 
the  Romans  worshiped  as  patroness  of  handi- 
crafts and  goddess  of  practical  wisdom.  Her 
festival  was  celebrated  by  guilds  of  artisans  and 
physicians,  and  on  it  school-children  were  given 
a  holiday.  By  her  later  identification  with  the 
Greek  Pallas  Athena  she  became  known  as  god- 
dess of  military  strategy  and  as  protectress  of 
cities.  Jupiter,  Juno,  and  Minerva  formed  a  di- 
vine triad  worshiped  on  the  Capitoline  Hill. 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        49 

in.  HEPHAESTUS  (VULCAN) 
Half-brother  of  Athena,  and  son  of  Zeus  and   The  god 

of  fire. 

Hera,  was  He  phses'tus,  the  lame  god  of  fire, 
the  forge  and  metal-work,  and  as  such,  together 
with  his  great  sister,  a  mighty  helper  of  men  in 
their  struggle  for  civilization.  He  is  thus  ad- 
dressed in  the  Homeric  Hymn: 

Sing,  shrill  Muse,  of  Hephaestus,  renowned  in  craft, 
who  with  gray-eyed  Athena  taught  goodly  works  to 
men  on  earth,  even  to  men  that  before  were  wont  to 
dwell  in  caves  like  beasts;  but  now,  being  instructed  in 
craft  by  the  renowned  craftsman,  Hephaestus,  lightly 
the  whole  year  through  they  dwell  happily  in  their  own 
homes.  (Homeric  Hymn  to  Hephastus.) 

He  was  born  lame,  but  two  stories  are  told 
of  his  fall  from  heaven  that  would  more  than 
account  for  any  such  deformity.  According  to 
the  one,  Hera,  chagrined  at  finding  her  son 
physically  imperfect,  threw  him  out  of  heaven. 
To  avenge  himself  for  this  cruelty  on  his  mother's 
part,  Hephaestus  cunningly  constructed  a  golden 
chair  and  brought  it  as  a  present  to  Hera.  When 
she  had  taken  her  seat  upon  it,  invisible  chains 
held  her  fast,  nor  could  she  be  freed.  The  gods 
pleaded  with  Hephaestus  in  vain,  until  Di  o  ny'sus 
(Bacchus),  the  wine-god,  made  him  drunk  and 
so  brought  him  to  Mt.  Olympus  and  induced  him 
to  undo  his  own  handiwork.  According  to  the 
other  story  Zeus,  resenting  his  championship  of 


50    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

his  mother  in  one  of  the  many  quarrels  between 
the  royal  pair,  seized  him  by  the  foot  and  hurled 
him  from  Olympus. 

All  day  I  flew,  and  at  the  set  of  sun  I  fell  in  Lemnos, 
and  little  life  was  in  me.     (Iliad,  I.  592.) 

Appearance          Hcphsestus  made  the  glorious  palaces  of  the 
gods  on  Olympus;  he  mac'e  the  scepter  of  Zeus 


Fig.  13.    Hephaestus  and  the  Cyclopes  preparing  the  shield 
of  Achilles. 

and  the  shield  of  Achilles;  he  helped  to  mold 
Pandora.  His  workshops  were  under  the  earth, 
where  volcanoes  gave  an  outlet  to  the  fires  of  his 
forge.  Thus  the  Greeks  saw  his  home  in  the 
volcanic  island  of  Lemnos,  and  the  Greeks  of 
South  Italy  and  Sicily,  under  Mt.  yEtna  or  on 


Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus        51 

one  of  the  Lipari  Islands.  On  the  latter,  it  was 
the  popular  belief  that  if  the  metal  were  left 
over-night  near  the  crater,  and  due  prayer  and 
sacrifice  made  to  the  god,  a  marvelously  forged 
sword  would  be  found  in  the  morning.  To  aid 
him  in  his  work  he  had  wonderful  maidens  of 
gold.  He  is  described  in  his  workshop  by 
Homer : 

He  said,  and  from  the  anvil  rose  limping,  a  huge 
bulk,  but  under  him  his  slender  legs  moved  nimbly. 
The  bellows  he  set  away  from  the  fire,  and  gathered  all 
his  gear  wherewith  he  worked  into  a  silver  chest ;  and 
with  a  sponge  he  wiped  his  face  and  hands  and  sturdy 
neck  and  shaggy  breast,  and  did  on  his  doublet,  and 
took  a  stout  staff  and  went  forth  limping;  but  there 
were  handmaidens  of  gold  that  moved  to  help  their 
lord,  the  semblance  of  living  maids.  In  them  is  under- 
standing at  their  hearts,  in  them  are  voice  and  strength, 
and  they  have  the  skill  of  the  immortal  gods.  (Iliad, 
XVIII.  410  ff.) 

Ever  friendly  and  helpful,  often  a  peace- 
maker, Hephaestus  was  beloved  of  men  and  gods, 
though  his  limping  gait  subjected  him  to  ridicule. 

Then  he  poured  forth  wine  to  all  the  gods,  from  right 
to  left,  ladling  the  sweet  nectar  from  the  bowl.  And 
laughter  unquenchable  arose  among  the  blessed  gods  to 
see  Hephaestus  bustling  through  the  palace.  (Iliad,  I. 

597  «.) 

Hephaestus  is  not  a  favorite  subject  in  art,  but 
when  he  appears  it  is  as  a  strongly-built  man.  his 


52    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

lameness  only  hinted  at.  He  is  dressed  in  a 
workman's  short  tunic  and  wears  the  workman's 
cap.  Probably  he  originally  represented  the 
lightning;  hence  the  story  of  his  fall  from  heaven, 
vuican.  Vulcan,  the  fire-god,  was  more  feared  than 
courted  in  Rome,  with  its  close-built  streets,  so 
subject  to  destructive  fires.  His  worship,  there- 
fore, as  originally  that  of  the  war-god  Mars,  was 
kept  outside  the  city. 


Fig.  14.    Apollo,  from  Olympia. 


CHAPTER  IV 

APOLLO  AND  ARTEMIS 

I.    APOLLO 

THE  purest  and  highest  worship  of  the  Greeks 
was  perhaps  that  offered  to  Phoebus  Apollo,  the  healing- 
glorious  god  of  light,  who  in  later  mythology  took 
the  place  of  the  Titan  Helios.  In  his  chariot 
he  drives  across  the  heavens,  attended  by  the 
Hours  and  Seasons,  and  at  evening  stables  his 
horses  in  the  golden  west.  Nothing  false  or 
impure  might  be  brought  near  to  him;  his  was 
a  cleansing  and  enlightening  power.  With  his 
arrows,  the  rays  of  the  brilliant  Greek  sun,  he 
destroyed  his  enemies  and  brought  pestilence  and 
death  upon  those  that  had  fallen  under  his  dis- 
pleasure. But  he  was  a  destructive  god  only 
when  provoked  to  anger;  he  was  preeminently 
the  god  of  healing  and  medicine.  It  was  he  that 
inspired  physicians  to  divine  the  hidden  cause  of 
disease;  he  was  their  patron.  This  healing  gift 
was  especially  exercised  by  Apollo's  son,  the  di- 
vine physician  As  cle'pi  us,  who  incurred  Zeus's 
wrath  by  even  restoring  the  dead  to  life. 

But  Apollo's  greatest  importance  in  the  Greek  The  Oracle 

at  Delphi. 

world  was  as  god  of  prophecy,  the  giver  of  the 

55 


prophetic  gift.  The  most  famous  of  all  oracles 
was  that  at  Delphi,  a  town  of  central  Greece  situ- 
ated on  the  slopes  of  Mt.  Parnassus.  Here  the 
priestess,  seated  on  a  tripod  over  a  cleft  HI  the 
rock,  was  thrown  into  an  inspired  frenzy  by  the 


Fig.  15.     The   Sun-God   in   his   Chariot. 

vapors  that  rose  about  her.  Her  incoherent  ut- 
terances were  interpreted  by  the  priests  of  the 
shrine.  Hither  came  those  seeking  guidance,  not 
only  from  all  the  Greek  world,  but  from  distant 
and  non-Hellenic  lands.  No  great  undertaking 
might  be  entered  upon  without  the  sanction  and 


Fig.  16.    Foundations  of  Apollo's  Temple  at  Delphi. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  59 

guidance  of  the  god;  especially  those  seeking  to 
found  a  new  colony  must  first  consult  the  oracle 
of  Apollo.  Thus  the  god  was  the  founder  of 
cities,  the  promoter  of  colonization,  the  extender 
of  just  and  civilized  law. 

In  all  his  manifestations  Apollo  stands  for  the  The  god  of 

beauty  and 

Greek  ideal  of  manly  strength  and  beauty,  of  the  music- 
highest  and  purest  development  of  body  and  in- 
tellect. He  inspires  not  alone  physicians  with 
their  art  and  prophets  with  their  power,  but  to 
him  all  poets  and  musicians  owe  the  divine  spark. 
He  is  the  giver  of  all  beauty  and  harmony.  On 
Mt.  Parnassus  he  led  his  chorus  of  the  Nine 
Muses,  and  at  the  banquets  of  the  gods  he 
charmed  the  Olympians  by  the  music  of  his 
golden  lyre. 

Apollo  is  always  represented  as  in  the  prime 
of  youth,  with  smooth  face  and  refined  (in  later 
art  almost  feminine)  features.  As  the  archer 
he  is  usually  entirely  nude  and  holds  the  bow. 
As  sun-god  he  appears  in  his  chariot  drawn  by 
winged  horses,  while  "  rosy-fingered  Dawn " 
throws  open  before  him  the  gates  of  the  East  and 
the  Hours  and  Seasons  accompany  the  chariot. 
As  god  of  music  and  leader  of  the  Muses,  he  is 
dressed  in  the  long  flowing  garment  of  the  Greek 
bard  and  holds  the  lyre.  About  his  forehead  he 
wears  the  wreath  of  laurel,  sacred  to  him  and 
always  the  reward  of  the  poet. 

Apollo  was  the  son  of  Zeus  and  the  goddess 


60    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Leto  (Lato'na).  The  story  of  his  mother's 
wanderings,  driven  by  the  cruel  jealousy  of  Hera 
to  seek  a  birthplace  for  her  children,  and  of  how 
at  last  the  little  rocky  isle  of  Delos  7  offered  her  a 
refuge,  is  told  in  the  Homeric  Hymn. 


Fig.  17.    Apollo  as  leader  of  the  Muses. 

But  the  lands  trembled  sore  and  were  adread,  and 
none,  nay  not  the  richest,  dared  to  welcome  Phoebus,  not 
till  Lady  Leto  set  foot  on  Delos,  and  speaking  winged 

7 Delos  had  up  to  that  time  been  a  floating  island;  in 
return  for  its  hospitable  reception  of  Leto,  Zeus  fastened 
it  to  the  bottom  with  adamantine  chains. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  6l 

words  besought  her :  "  Delos,  would  that  thou  wert 
minded  to  be  the  seat  of  my  son,  Phoebus  Apollo,  and 
to  let  build  him  therein  a  rich  temple.  .  .  ."  And 
forth  leaped  the  babe  to  light,  and  all  the  goddesses 
raised  a  cry.  Then,  great  Phoebus,  the  goddesses 
washed  thee  in  fair  water  holy  and  purely,  and  wound 
thee  in  white  swaddling  bands,  delicate,  new-woven, 
with  a  golden  girdle  around  thee.  Nor  did  his  mother 
suckle  Apollo,  the  golden  sworded,  but  Themis  with 
immortal  hands  first  touched  his  lips  with  nectar  and 
sweet  ambrosia,  while  Leto  rejoiced,  in  that  she  had 
borne  her  strong  son,  the  bearer  of  the  bow.  (Homeric 
Hymn  to  the  Delian  Apollo.) 

After  the  birth  of  the  twins,  Apollo  and  Arte- 
mis, the  story  tells  how  once  in  Lycia  Leto  came, 
weary  and  parched  with  thirst,  to  a  pond  where 
some  countrymen  were  gathering  reeds.  The 
boors  refused  her  the  privilege  she  entreated  of 
quenching  her  thirst,  and  threatened  the  fainting 
goddess  with  violence.  They  even  waded  into 
the  pond  and  stirred  up  the  mud  to  make  the 
water  undrinkable.  In  just  anger  at  their  boor- 
ishness  and  cruelty  the  goddess  prayed  that  they 
might  never  leave  that  pool.  There  they  live 
still,  often  coming  to  the  top  to  breathe,  or  squat- 
ting on  the  bank,  croaking  their  discontent  with 
hoarse  voices.  Their  backs  are  green  and  their 
bellies  are  white ;  their  heads  grow  out  of  bloated 
bodies;  their  eyes  bulge.  You  can  see  cold- 
blooded creatures  like  them  in  the  nearest  frog- 
pond. 


62     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

python.  At  Delphi,  before  the  coming  of  Apollo,  the 
site  of  the  oracle  was  guarded  by  a  pestilential 
earth-born  serpent,  Python,  who  laid  waste  all 
the  land.  This  monster  of  disease  and  darkness 
the  god  of  light  killed  with  his  golden  shafts 
and  made  the  oracle  his  own.  Exulting  in  his 
victory,  he  now  sang  for  the  first  time  the  Paean, 
the  song  of  triumph  and  thanksgiving,  and  on 
the  scene  of  his  victory  he  planted  his  sacred 
laurel  tree. 

How  the  laurel  came  to  be  sacred  to  Apollo  is 
told  by  the  Latin  poet  Ovid  as  follows : 
Daphne. s  Eros  (Cupid)  was  responsible  for  Apollo's  un- 
happy love  for  Daphne.  Once  the  sun-god  saw 
him  fitting  an  arrow  to  the  string,  and  being 
haughty  because  of  his  recent  victory  over 
Python,  he  taunted  the  little  god  of  love.  "  Mis- 
chievous boy,  what  have  you  to  do  with  such 
weapons!  These  are  arms  that  become  my 
shoulders  —  I,  who  lately  with  my  arrows  laid 
low  swelling  Python.  Be  you  content  to  track 
out  love-adventures  with  your  torch;  do  not  as- 
pire to  my  honors!  "  Aphrodite's  son  answered 
him :  "  Your  arrows  pierce  all  things,  Phoebus ; 
mine  pierce  you."  As  he  spoke  he  drew  from 
his  quiver  two  arrows;  the  one  with  point  of  gold 
inspires  love,  that  tipped  with  lead  repels  it. 
With  the  first  he  wounded  Apollo;  with  the  sec- 
ond he  pierced  Daphne,  the  daughter  of  a  river- 
8  Fol!o\vinp-  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  I.  452  ff. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  63 

god.  Straightway  the  god  loved,  but  the  nymph 
hated  the  very  name  of  lover  and  gave  herself, 
like  the  maiden  goddess  Artemis,  to  hunting  wild 
things  in  the  woods.  Many  suitors  sought  her, 
but  she  refused  them  all  and  persuaded  her  father 
to  permit  her  always  to  live  a  maiden.  But 
Apollo  loved.  He  saw  her  hair  in  charming  con- 
fusion about  her  neck;  he  saw  her  eyes  beaming 
like  stars ;  he  saw  her  lips  and  longed  to  kiss 
them.  He  praised  her  hands  and  her  shapely 
arms;  he  thought  her  all  beautiful.  She  fled 
from  him  more  elusive  than  the  light  breeze,  nor 
did  she  stay  to  hear  his  entreaties :  "  Nymph, 
I  pray  you,  stay !  I  who  pursue  you  am  no 
enemy.  Nymph,  stay!  love  is  the  cause  of  my 
pursuit.  Alas!  what  if  you  should  fall!  What 
if  the  horrid  thorns  should  wound  your  innocent 
ankles,  and  I  should  be  to  you  the  cause  of  pain ! 
The  ground  is  rough;  run  not  so  fast!  I,  too, 
will  follow  more  slowly.  I  who  love  you  am  no 
boorish  mountaineer;  I  am  no  rough  shepherd. 
Rash  girl,  you  know  not  whom  you  flee.  Jupiter 
is  my  father.  Through  me  what  was  and  is  and 
will  be  is  disclosed ;  through  me  the  notes  ring 
harmonious  on  the  strings.  My  arrow  is  sure, 
yet  one  arrow  is  surer ;  it  has  wounded  my  heart. 
Medicine  is  my  invention;  I  am  called  savior 
through  all  the  world.  Alas!  no  medicine  can 
cure  my  love,  nor  can  the  skill  that  saves  all 
others  save  its  master." 


64    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

But  the  nymph  still  fled  and  the  god  still  pur- 
sued, she  swift  through  fear,  he  swifter  yet  as 
winged  with  love.  Now  he  drew  so  close  upon 
her  that  she  felt  his  breath  upon  her  neck.  She 
felt  her  strength  go  from  her  and  in  her  despair 
called  upon  her  father,  the  river-god :  "  Help 
me,  O  Father!  Let  the  earth  open  for  me,  or 
else  change  this  form  that  has  been  my  ruin !  " 
As  she  ceased  her  prayer  a  heaviness  seized  her 
limbs;  her  soft  bosom  was  inclosed  in  a  delicate 
bark ;  her  locks  became  leaves,  her  arms  branches. 
The  foot,  lately  so  swift,  was  rooted  in  the 
ground;  only  her  beauty  remained.  Phcebus 
still  loved  her,  and  placing  his  hand  upon  the 
trunk,  he  felt  her  breast  tremble  beneath  the  new- 
formed  bark.  He  put  his  arms  about  it  and 
kissed  the  wood ;  the  wood  shrank  from  his  kisses. 
Then  said  the  god :  "  Since  you  cannot  be  my 
wife,  you  shall  surely  be  my  tree,  O  Laurel,  and 
ever  shall  you  adorn  my  head,  my  lyre,  and  my 
quiver.  And  as  my  head  is  ever  crowned  with 
youth  and  beauty,  so  shall  your  branches  ever  be 
crowned  with  green  and  glossy  leaves." 

As  the  ever-green  laurel  recalls  the  story  of 
Apollo's  unrequited  love  for  a  nymph,  so  the 
fragrant  hyacinth  springs  from  his  unhappy  at- 
tachment to  a  mortal  youth  snatched  away  by  an 
untimely  death. 

There  was  a  time  when  even  Delphi  was  de- 

9  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  X.   162  ff. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  65 

serted  by  Apollo,  when  the  bow  and  the  lyre  lost 
their  charm  for  him.  He  spent  all  his  days  with 
Hy  a  cin'thus,  carrying  his  hunting-nets,  holding 
in  his  dogs,  accompanying  him  on  the  hunt  or 
in  his  sports.  One  day  the  friends,  having  taken 
off  their  clothes  and  been  rubbed  with  oil,  were 
amusing  themselves  throwing  the  discus.  Apollo 
threw  it  high  and  far,  exhibiting  skill  and 
strength  in  the  sport.  Hyacinthus  rushed  for- 
ward to  get  the  discus,  not  counting  for  the  strong 
rebound  from  such  a  throw.  It  glanced  upward 
and  struck  the  boy  full  in  the  temple.  The  god 
caught  him  in  his  fall  and  held  him  close,  trying 
to  staunch  the  wound  and  applying  medicinal 
herbs.  For  once  his  art  failed  him.  For  as  a 
lily  when  the  rays  of  the  sun  have  struck  hot 
upon  it  droops  its  head  towards  the  earth  and 
faints  and  dies,  so  the  mortal  youth  drooped 
his  head  upon  his  breast  and  fell  lifeless  from 
the  god's  embrace. 

In  his  grief  Apollo  upbraided  himself  as  its 
cause,  and,  since  he  could  not  restore  the  boy  to 
life,  declared  that  at  least  his  name  should  live  for- 
ever, celebrated  by  him  in  song.  And  lo !  where 
the  red  blood  had  flowed  out  upon  the  earth, 
there  sprang  up  a  splendid  purple  flower  with 
a  form  like  a  lily.  It  bore  on  its  petals  "  Ai, 
Ai  "  (Alas,  Alas),  a  memorial  of  the  sun-god's 
mourning.  And  as  often  as  the  fresh  young 
spring  drives  away  the  winter,  so  often  are  these 


66     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

flowers    fresh    in    the    fields.     Hyacinthus    rises 
again. 

Marpessa.  There  was  an  occasion  when  Apollo  presented 
himself  as  rival  to  a  mortal  and  was  rejected. 
Mar  pes'sa  was  a  beautiful  maiden,  loved  by  Idas, 
who,  with  the  help  of  winged  horses  given  him 
by  Poseidon,  stole  her  from  her  father.  Apollo 
overtook  the  runaway  couple  and  seized  the 
maiden  for  himself.  But  Idas,  fearing  not  even 
the  god  in  defense  of  his  beloved,  drew  his  bow 
against  him.  To  prevent  the  unequal  contest, 
Zeus  gave  Marpessa  her  choice  between  the  two. 
On  the  one  side  stood  the  glorious  sun-god,  of- 
fering immortality,  power,  glory,  and  freedom 
from  all  earthly  trouble.  On  the  other  stood 
Idas,  offering  only  faithful  love  and  partnership 
in  his  life  with  its  mingled  joy  and  sorrow.  The 
woman  chose  the  mortal,  fearing  unfaithfulness 
on  the  god's  part,  since  immortal  youth  was  not 
granted  her  with  immortal  life,  and  preferring 
to  live,  love,  grow  old,  and  die,  with  one  capable 
of  a  like  love  and  destined  to  a  like  fate. 

Niob«.  10  In  the  tragic  fate  of  Ni'o  be  and  her  fourteen 
children,  Apollo  with  his  sister  Artemis  appears 
as  his  mother's  avenger,  and  his  golden  arrows 
bring  destruction. 

The   story  of   Arachne's  punishment   for  her 
presumption  towards  Athena  should  have  been 
a  warning  to  all.     But  Niobe  was  too  haughty 
10  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  VI.   146  ff. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  67 

to  heed  it.  Many  things  made  her  proud.  Her 
husband  was  a  celebrated  musician ;  on  both  sides 
of  her  family  she  was  descended  from  the  gods, 
and  she  ruled  over  a  great  kingdom.  More  than 
all,  she  was  proud  of  her  children,  seven  sons 
and  seven  daughters. 

The  Priest  of  Leto  had  cried  through  the  city: 
"  Come,  all  ye  people,  offer  to  Leto  and  the  chil- 
dren of  Leto  the  sacrifice  of  prayer  and  incense ! 
Bind  your  heads  with  laurel !  Leto  bids  it  by 
my  lips."  All  the  people  obeyed  and  offered  sac- 
rifice. Then  came  Niobe,  dressed  in  purple  and 
gold,  moving  stately  and  beautiful  among  her 
subjects  and  casting  haughty  looks  about. 
"  What  madness,"  said  she,  "  to  place  celestial 
beings  of  whom  you  have  only  heard  above  those 
seen!  Why  is  Leto  worshiped  at  the  altars, 
while  no  incense  rises  in  my  honor?  My  grand- 
father is  Atlas,  who  bears  on  his  shoulders  the 
starry  heavens.  My  other  grandfather  is  Zeus. 
Wide  kingdoms  own  me  as  queen.  Moreover, 
my  beauty  is  worthy  of  a  goddess.  Add  to  all 
this  my  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters,  and  see 
what  cause  I  have  for  pride!  I  know  not  how 
you  dare  to  prefer  Leto  to  me  —  Leto,  who  is 
the  mother  of  but  two!  I  am  beyond  the  power 
of  Fortune  to  injure.  Go!  enough  honor  has 
been  paid  to  her  and  her  offspring.  Put  off  the 
laurel  from  your  heads!"  Niobe  was  obeyed; 
the  worship  of  Leto  was  neglected  or  celebrated 


68    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

in  secret.  The  goddess  was  indignant  and  said 
to  her  two  children :  "  Lo,  I,  your  mother, 
proud  of  having  borne  you,  and  second  to  no 
one  of  the  goddesses,  unless  it  be  Hera,  am 
brought  to  doubt  whether  I  am  a  goddess.  I 
am  cut  off  from  the  honor  due,  unless  you  help 
me.  Moreover,  this  woman  adds  insults  and  has 
dared  to  set  her  children  above  you."  Apollo 
and  Artemis  heard  her.  Hidden  in  clouds  they 
came  to  the  city  of  Thebes. 

Two  of  Niobe's  sons  happened  to  be  practis- 
ing their  horses  on  the  race-course  near  the  city. 
The  elder  was  just  nearing  the  end  of  the  course 
when  he  received  Apollo's  arrow  full  in  the  breast. 
Dropping  the  reins  from  his  dying  hand,  he  fell 
from  his  chariot  in  the  dust.  His  brother,  hear- 
ing the  whizz  of  the  arrow  and  seeing  no  man, 
gave  free  rein  to  his  horses,  hoping  to  escape. 
Apollo's  unescapable  shaft  overtook  him,  and 
his  blood  reddened  the  earth.  Two  others  of  the 
sons  were  wrestling  in  the  palestra.  One  arrow 
pierced  the  two,  locked  as  they  were  in  one  an- 
other's arms.  As  they  fell,  another  brother 
rushed  up  to  save  them ;  he  fell  before  he  could 
reach  them.  A  sixth  met  his  death  in  the  same 
way.  The  youngest  raised  his  hands  in  prayer : 
"  O  all  ye  gods,  spare -me!  "  Apollo  might  have 
been  moved,  but  the  arrow  had  already  left  the 
string. 

Chance  report  and  the  prayers  of  those  about 


Apollo  and  Artemis  69 

her  first  told  Niobe  of  her  calamity.  Her  hus- 
band, unable  to  bear  his  grief,  had  fallen  on  his 
own  sword.  How  different  was  Niobe  now  from 
her  who  had  lately  driven  the  worshipers  from 
Leto's  altars  and  had  passed  in  haughty  state 
through  her  city ;  envied  then  by  all,  now  pitiable 
even  to  her  enemies.  With  her  seven  daughters 


Fig.  18.     Niobe    and    her   Daughter. 


she  came  to  the  place  where  the  bodies  lay  and, 
throwing  herself  upon  them,  cried :  "  Gloat  over 
my  grief,  Leto,  satisfy  your  cruel  heart!  Yet 
are  you  the  victor!  More  remains  to  me  in  my 
wretchedness  than  to  you  in  your  vengeance." 
Hardly  were  the  words  spoken  than  the  cord  of 
Artemis'  bow  twanged.  One  by  one  six  of  the 
daughters  fell  dead  beside  their  brothers.  But 


70 

one  remained,  the  youngest;  her  mother  tried  to 
shield  her  with  her  own  body.  "  Leave  one,  and 
that  the  youngest!  "  she  cried;  but  she  for  whom 
she  prayed  fell.  Niobe  sat,  childless  and  a 
widow,  among  the  corpses  of  her  sons  and  daugh- 
ters. In  stony  grief  she  sat  there ;  no  breeze 
stirred  her  hair;  her  cheeks  were  pallid,  her  eyes 
unmoved ;  her  blood  was  frozen  in  her  veins ;  she 
was  turned  to  stone.  Magically  borne  to  her 
fatherland  in  Asia,  there  she  still  sits  on  the 
mountain,  and  from  her  marble  cheeks  the  tears 
still  flow. 

Pha'e  thon  was  the  son  of  Apollo  by  a  nymph, 
Clym'e  ne.  When  one  of  his  playmates  mocked 
him  for  believing  that  Apollo  was  really  his 
father,  Phaethon  made  no  answer,  but,  coming 
home,  asked  his  mother  to  give  him  some  assur- 
ance of  his  parentage.  Clymene  swore  to  him 
by  all  that  was  sacred  that  she  had  told  him  truly, 
but  suggested  that  if  he  was  not  satisfied,  he 
should  go  and  put  the  question  to  his  father  him- 
self. 

The  boy  eagerly  traveled  toward  the  sunrise, 
beyond  the  borders  of  earth,  and  came  to  the  pal- 
ace of  the  sun.  Phcebus,  dressed  in  a  purple 
robe,  was  seated  on  a  throne  glittering  with 
gems.  To  right  and  left  stood  the  Days,  the 
Months,  the  Years,  and  the  Ages.  There  too 
were  the  Seasons;  young  Spring,  crowned  with 
11  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  I.  750  ff. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  71 

fresh  flowers ;  Summer,  nude  but  for  her  wreaths 
of  grain;  Autumn,  stained  with  trodden  grapes; 
and  icy  Winter,  rugged  and  hoary-haired.  Be- 
fore this  company  appeared  the  boy  Phaethon, 
and  stood  hesitating  near  the  door,  unable  to 
bear  his  father's  brightness.  But  the  sun,  look- 
ing at  him  with  those  eyes  that  see  all  things, 
greeted  him  kindly  and  asked  the  reason  of  his 
coming.  Phaethon,  encouraged  by  his  recogni- 
tion, answered :  "  O  light  of  the  vast  world, 
Phoebus,  my  father,  if  that  name  is  permitted,  I 
pray  you  to  give  me  some  pledge  that  I  may  be 
recognized  as  your  very  son."  In  answer  the 
father  embraced  him  and  promised  to  grant  what- 
ever he  should  ask ;  he  swore  it  by  the  Styx,  an 
oath  no  god  might  break.  But  when  Phaethon 
asked  for  the  privilege  of  driving  for  one  day 
the  chariot  of  the  sun,  Phoebus  did  all  in  his 
power  to  dissuade  him,  telling  him  the  dangers 
of  the  way,  and  that  not  even  Zeus,  who  wields 
the  thunder,  could  drive  that  chariot.  Surely  it 
was  no  task  for  a  mortal !  But  Phaethon  was 
obstinate  in  his  demand,  and  Apollo  had  sworn 
by  the  Styx. 

The  chariot  was  Hephaestus'  work,  all  of  gold 
and  ivory,  set  with  gems,  and  marvelously 
wrought.  As  Phaethon  wondered  at  the  work, 
wakeful  Aurora  threw  wide  the  golden  gates  and 
opened  the  courts  full  of  rosy  light.  The  stars 
fled  away.  When  Phoebus  saw  the  earth  grow 


72     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

red  and  the  pale  moon  vanish,  he  bade  the  Hours 
harness  the  fiery  horses.  Then  he  touched  his 
son's  face  with  sacred  ointment  that  it  might 
bear  the  scorching  flame,  and  on  his  head  he 
placed  the  rays,  giving  him  this  last  advice.  "  If 
you  can  still  heed  your  father's  words,  my  boy, 
spare  the  whip  and  firmly  hold  the  reins!  Keep 
to  the  middle  course,  where  you  will  see  the 
tracks  of  my  wheels;  for  if  you  go  too  high  you 
will  burn  the  homes  of  the  gods,  if  too  low,  the 
earth.  I  commit  the  rest  to  Fortune.  As  I 
speak,  clamp  Night  has  reached  its  western  goal ; 
we  may  no  longer  delay;  we  are  demanded,  and 
Dawn  has  put  the  shades  to  flight.  Take  the 
reins,  if  you  are  still  resolved." 

The  boy  joyfully  mounted  the  chariot  and 
thanked  his  father.  The  fiery  horses  sprang  for- 
ward, outstripping  the  wind  that  rose  at  dawn 
from  the  east.  But  the  chariot  seemed  light  with- 
out the  accustomed  weight  of  the  mighty  god, 
and  the  horses  bolted  and  left  the  trodden  road. 
Phaethon  neither  knew  which  way  to  turn,  nor, 
had  he  known,  could  he  have  guided  the  horses. 
When  from  his  dizzy  height  he  looked  down  on 
the  lands  lying  far  below  him,  he  grew  pale  and 
his  knees  trembled  in  sudden  fear;  his  eyes  were 
blinded  by  excess  of  light.  And  now  he  wished 
that  he  had  never  touched  his  father's  horses; 
he  wished  that  he  had  never  even  known  of  his 
high  birth.  What  should  he  do?  He  looked  at 


Apollo  and  Artemis  73 

the  great  expanse  of  sky  behind  his  back ;  yet  more 
was  before  him.  He  measured  the  two  with  his 
eye.  Trembling,  he  saw  about  him  the  monsters 
of  which  his  father  had  warned  him.  The  Ser- 
pent, roused  from  his  age-long  lethargy  by  the  too 
near  approach  of  the  sun's  chariot,  hissed  horri- 
bly ;  there  Scorpio,  curving  menacing  arms,  threat- 
ened death  with  his  poisonous  fangs.  At  sight 
of  this  monster  Phaethon's  heart  failed  him  and 
he  dropped  the  reins.  The  horses  ran  wild. 
The  Moon  wondered  to  see  her  brother's  chariot 
running  nearer  the  earth  than  her  own,  and  the 
clouds  all  on  fire.  Then  all  the  moisture  in  the 
earth  was  dried  up  and  the  ground  cracked. 
Trees  and  crops,  cities  with  their  inhabitants,  all 
were  turned  to  ashes.  They  say  that  this  was 
how  the  people  of  Africa  were  turned  black,  and 
how  Sahara  became  a  sandy  waste.  The  nymphs 
pined  away,  seeing  their  fountains  dried  up  about 
them,  and  the  river-beds  were  dusty  hollows. 
The  ground  cracked  so  wide  that  the  light  pene- 
trated even  into  Tartarus  and  startled  Hades  and 
his  queen.  The  seas  shrank  and  the  fishes  sought 
the  bottom.  Three  times  Poseidon  dared  to 
raise  his  head  above  his  waters,  and  each  time 
the  heat  forced  him  back.  At  last  Earth,  the 
mother  of  all,  faint  and  scorched,  appealed  to 
Zeus  for  help,  calling  him  to  witness  her  own  un- 
deserved distress,  and  the  clanger  to  his  own  realm 
of  heaven  if  this  wild  conflagration  continued. 


74    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Then  Zeus  hurled  his  thunder-bolt  against  Apol- 
lo's son.  The  horses  tore  themselves  loose  and 
left  the  chariot  a  wreck.  Phaethon  fell,  like  a 
shooting  star,  leaving  a  trail  of  fire  behind  him, 
until  the  waters  of  the  river  Po  in  Italy  closed 
over  him.  Then  Apollo  hid  his  face  in  grief, 
and  they  say  that  one  whole  day  went  by  without 
a  sun.  The  raging  fires  gave  light.  The  water- 
nymphs  found  Phaethon's  body  and  buried  it, 
raising  over  it  a  tomb  with  this  inscription : 
"  Here  lies  Phaethon,  who  drove  his  father's 
chariot;  if  he  could  not  control  it,  yet  he  fell 
nobly  daring." 

Another  son  of  Apollo,  As  cle'pi  us,  the  divine 
physician,  has  already  been  mentioned.  Ascie- 
pius was  widely  worshiped  as  god  of  medicine, 
and  at  his  temple  in  Epidaurus  marvelous  cures 
were  wrought.  Here  his  priests  cared  for  the 
sick,  and  about  the  shrine  rose  a  great  establish- 
ment to  which  flocked  those  needing  his  ministra- 
tions. The  god  appeared  by  night  to  the  patients, 
not  so  often  in  his  own  form  as  in  that  of  the 
serpent  sacred  to  him.  It  was  in  this  form  that 
Asciepius  (called  by  the  Romans  ^Es  cu  la'pi  us) 
was  brought  to  Rome  at  the  time  of  a  plague.  It 
is  said  that  the  serpent  left  the  ship  before  it 
came  to  land  and  swam  to  an  island  in  the  Tiber. 
There  his  worship  was  established,  and  it  is  in- 
teresting to  know  that  at  this  day  a  city  hospital 
is  still  there. 


Fig.  19.    Asclepius. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  77 

When  Zeus,  in  anger  at  Asclepius'  presumption 
in  restoring  the  dead  to  life,  struck  and  slew  him 
by  a  thunderbolt,  Apollo  rashly  attempted  to 
avenge  his  son's  death  by  shooting  with  his  ar- 
rows the  forgers  of  the  thunderbolt,  the  Cy- 
clopes. In  punishment  for  this  insubordination, 
Zeus  compelled  him  for  one  year  to  serve  a  mor- 
tal. During  this  time  of  exile  he  kept  the  sheep 
of  the  just  Ad  me'tus,  a  prince  of  Thessaly. 
Al  ces'tis,  the  wife  of  Admetus,  gained  a  place 
among  the  women  famous  in  story  by  an  act  of 
noble  self-sacrifice. 

When  the  day  approached  that  was  destined  Aicestis.  12 
for  Admetus'  death,  that  prince  won  the  reward 
for  his  just  and  wise  treatment  of  his  divine 
shepherd ;  for  Apollo  gained  for  him  the  prom- 
ise of  a  postponement  of  that  evil  day,  on  condi- 
tion that  he  could  induce  some  other  to  take  his 
place.  With  full  assurance  that  some  one  of  his 
devoted  friends  and  servants,  or,  most  certainly, 
one  of  his  parents,  would  feel  disposed  to  offer 
his  life  as  a  ransom,  Admetus  appealed  to  one 
after  another.  All  refused;  even  his  father, 
though  reminded  by  his  son  that  in  any  case  he 
had  not  long  to  live,  and  that  he  should  feel  quite 
content  to  die  since  he  would  leave  a  son  to  carry 
on  the  family,  quite  obstinately  refused.  It  al- 
most seemed  that  Death  must  have  his  own,  and 
Apollo's  promise  be  unfulfilled.  Then  Admetus' 
12  Euripides,  Alcestis. 


78    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

young  wife,  Alcestis,  took  his  fate  upon  herself, 
and  for  love  of  her  husband,  offered  to  go  to  the 
dark  home  of  Hades  in  his  place. 

The  day  of  the  sacrifice  came,  and  Apollo, 
whose  brightness  and  purity  might  not  be  pol- 
luted by  nearness  to  the  dead,  prepared  to  leave 
the  house  of  his  servitude.  Meeting  Death  by 
the  way,  he  vainly  tried  to  persuade  him  to  spare 
Alcestis  too,  but  that  relentless  enemy  passed  in- 
side the  house  to  cut  from  his  victim's  head  the 
lock  of  hair  that  consecrated  her  to  the  gods  of 
the  lower  world. 

Meanwhile  Alcestis  had  been  preparing  herself 
for  her  terrible  visitor.  She  put  on  her  finest 
robes  and  her  ornaments,  she  decked  the  house 
with  garlands,  and  before  the  shrine  of  Hestia, 
the  guardian  of  the  home,  she  prayed  that  her 
two  little  children  might  find  in  the  goddess  a 
protectress  loving  as  a  mother.  And  when  the 
children  came  running  to  her  and  the  servants 
sadly  crowded  round  her,  she  bade  them  each  one 
a  loving  and  courageous  farewell.  Admetus 
came  and  with  tears  entreated  her  not  to  leave 
him  forlorn.  He  did  not  offer  to  meet  Death 
for  her.  Only  one  request  she  made  as  her 
strength  ebbed,  let  her  husband  bring  no  step- 
mother to  tyrannize  over  her  children. 

To  the  house  of  mourning  the  hero  Heracles 
(Hercules),  on  one  of  his  many  adventurous 
journeys,  came  and  begged  entertainment.  The 


Apollo  and  Artemis  79 

servants  would  have  turned  him  away,  unwilling 
that  their  attentions  to  their  dead  mistress  should 
be  interrupted,  but  Admetus,  true  to  the  Greek 
law  of  hospitality,  concealed  his  trouble  and  or- 
dered a  feast  to  be  prepared  for  his  guest.  The 
hero,  warmed  by  food  and  wine,  became  so  noisy 
in  his  enjoyment  of  it  that  the  servants  could  not 
contain  their  indignation  and  reproached  him 
with  his  inconsiderate  behavior.  Great  was 
Heracles'  mortification  at  finding  that  it  was  a 
house  of  mourning  he  had  unwittingly  invaded, 
and  swearing  that  the  courteous  Admetus  should 
never  regret  his  kindness,  he  hurriedly  left  the 
house. 

The  funeral  ceremonies  were  over  and  Alcestis 
had  been  committed  to  the  tomb.  Her  husband 
returned  to  his  widowed  home,  bowed  with  grief 
and  half  awakened  to  the  selfishness  of  his  own 
choice.  At  this  moment  Heracles  reappeared, 
leading  with  him  a  veiled  woman  whom  he  urged 
the  prince  to  keep  for  him  for  a  time.  Admetus, 
remembering  his  promise  to  Alcestis,  was  unwill- 
ing to  admit  any  woman  to  his  roof,  wishing  to 
avoid  even  the  appearance  of  setting  up  any  one 
in  his  wife's  place.  Only  by  much  insistence 
could  the  hero  induce  him  to  take  her  by  the 
hand  and  lead  her  in.  Then  Heracles  drew  off 
the  veil  and  disclosed  Alcestis  herself,  whom  he 
had  rescued  by  wrestling  with  and  overthrowing 
Death. 


8o    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  worship  of  the  Greek  god  Apollo  was 
early  introduced  into  Rome  under  the  same  name. 
With  the  introduction  of  his  worship  was  asso- 
ciated the  acquisition  of  the  Sibylline  Books,  sold, 
according  to  the  legend,  to  King  Tarquin  by  the 
Sibyl  of  Cumae.  These  precious  books  of  proph- 
ecy were  kept  beneath  the  temple  on  the  Cap- 
itoline  Hill  and  in  time  of  danger  to  the  state 
were  solemnly  consulted  by  those  ordained  for 
that  purpose. 

ii.  ARTEMIS  (DIANA) 
The  goddess          Ar'te  mis  was  the  child  of  Zeus  and  Leto,  twin 

of  the  moon 

and  the  chase,  sister  of  Apollo.  As  Apollo  took  the  place  of 
the  Titan  Helios  as  god  of  the  sun,  so  Artemis 
took  the  place  of  Se  le'ne  as  goddess  of  the  moon. 
In  her  chariot  she  too  drove  across  the  heavens ; 
her  weapons,  like  his,  were  the  bow  and  arrows. 
But  Artemis  was  more  generally  known  as  god- 
dess of  the  chase  and  of  all  wild  things  in  na- 
ture. Dressed  in  the  short  hunting-dress,  pulled 
up  through  her  belt  to  give  her  freedom  of  mo- 
tion, with  quiver  and  bow  over  her  shoulder 
she  scoured  the  forest  in  pursuit  of  game.  Her 
companions  were  the  mountain  nymphs  and  the 
spirits  of  the  woods  and  streams.  To  her  the 
huntsman  made  his  prayer  and  to  her  he  offered 
the  first  fruits  of  his  game  on  rough  stone  altars. 
But  though  a  huntress,  she  was  yet  the  friend 
and  protectress  of  beasts,  both  wild  and  do- 


Fig.  20.     Artemis  of  Versailles. 


Apollo  and  Artemis  83 

mestic,  and  their  young  were  under  her  special 
care. 

Artemis  is  represented  as  a  graceful,   active  Appearance 

and  emblems 

maiden,  dressed  in  a  short  hunting-dress  coming 
only  to  the  knee,  and  armed  with  bow  and  quiver. 
When  represented  as 
moon-goddess  she  ap- 
pears in  her  chariot. 
Her  emblems  are  the 
crescent,  and  the  bow 
and  quiver,  and  she  of- 
ten has  beside  her  a 
deer  or  some  other 
animal  of  the  chase. 

As  Apollo  stood  for 
the  ideal  of  youthful 
manly  beauty,  so  Arte- 
mis was  the  ideal  of 
maidenhood,  of  mod- 
esty, and  of  graceful 
activity.  She  was  the 
patron  goddess  of 
young  girls  and  her 
worship  was  served  by  Fig"  2I"  Artemis  of  Gabii' 
them.  Before  marrying,  Greek  girls  offered  in 
sacrifice  a  lock  of  hair,  together  with  their  dolls 
or  other  toys ;  when  in  trouble  it  was  to  her  they 
called  for  help. 

Ar  e  thu'sa,  now  a  fountain  in  the  Sicilian  city  Ar«timsa.  is 

13  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  V.  577  ff. 


The  patroness 
of  maidens. 


84    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

of  Syracuse,  was  once  a  nymph,  a  follower  of 
Artemis,  and  lived  in  southern  Greece.  She 
cared  nothing  for  admiration  and  love  but  was 
wholly  devoted  to  the  chase.  One  day  when  she 
was  tired  and  hot,  she  came  upon  a  clear,  cold 
stream,  flowing  silently  through  the  woods.  She 
drew  near  and  dipped  in,  first  her  toes,  then  as 
far  as  her  knees;  the  cold  water  was  so  refresh- 
ing that  she  took  off  her  clothes  and  plunged  into 
the  stream.  While  she  was  enjoying  her  bath, 
she  heard  a  murmur  under  the  water,  and  as  she 
hastened  to  the  bank  in  sudden  fear,  the  hoarse 
voice  of  the  river-god  Al  phe'us :  "  Whither  are 
you  hastening,  Arethusa  ? "  She  fled  and  the 
eager  god  pressed  hard  upon  her.  Through 
fields  and  pathless  woods,  over  rocks  and  hills 
she  ran,  and  ever  the  sound  of  his  pursuing  feet 
grew  nearer.  At  last  she  was  exhausted  and 
cried  to  Artemis,  the  protector  of  maidens.  The 
goddess  heard  and  threw  about  her  a  thick  mist 
to  hide  her  from  the  eyes  of  her  pursuer. 
Though  baffled,  the  god  still  sought  her.  A  cold 
sweat  poured  from  the  maiden's  limbs,  drops 
fell  from  her  hair;  she  was  transformed  into  a 
spring.  But  even  in  this  form  Alpheus  recog- 
nized her  and,  to  mingle  his  waters  with  hers, 
laid  aside  the  human  form  he  had  assumed. 
Then  Artemis  opened  the  earth,  and  Arethusa 
flowed  down  through  black  underground  ways 
until  she  rose  again  across  the  sea  in  Sicily.  But 


Apollo  and  Artemis  85 

the  river-god  endured  even  the  darkness  of  the 
under-world  in  pursuit  of  his  love,  and  in  that 
bright  Sicilian  land  at  last  joined  his  waves  with 
hers. 

That  Artemis  could  be  cruel  in  punishing  one  Actaeon.  14 
who  offended  her  maiden  modesty  is  seen  in  the 
story  of  Ac  tae'on. 

In  a  valley  thickly  wooded  with  pine  and 
pointed  cypress  trees  was  a  natural  cave,  wherein 
bubbled  a  spring  of  clearest  water.  Here  Ar- 
temis, when  tired  with  hunting,  used  to  bathe. 
She  would  enter  the  cave,  hand  her  hunting-spear 
to  one  of  her  attendant  nymphs,  her  bow  and 
quiver  to  another,  to  a  third  her  mantle,  while 
others  took  off  her  hunting-shoes.  Then  she 
would  step  into  the  spring,  while  the  nymphs 
poured  water  over  her. 

It  was  high  noon,  hot  with  the  heat  of  the  dog- 
days,  and  Actaeon,  satisfied  with  the  morning's 
sport,  had  left  the  other  hunters  and  wandered 
innocently  into  the  grove.  Hoping  to  find  water 
he  entered  the  cave.  At  sight  of  him  the  nymphs 
raised  a  shrill  outcry  and  crowded  about  Artemis 
to  hide  her  from  his  profane  eyes.  Insulted  by 
the  intrusion,  unintentional  though  it  was,  Arte- 
mis protected  herself  even  better.  She  splashed 
water  from  the  spring  in  Action's  face,  saying 
as  she  did  so :  "  Now,  if  you  can,  boast  that  you 
have  seen  me  unappareled !  "  At  touch  of  the 

14  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  III.   138  ff. 


86    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

water  his  human  form  was  changed  to  that  of  a 
stag ;  and  not  his  form  alone,  for  trembling  fear 
entered  his  once  bold  heart  and  he  fled,  dreading 
alike  the  woods  and  his  own  home  and  former 
companions.  As  he  fled,  his  own  dogs,  driven 
mad  by  Artemis,  saw  him  and  gave  chase,  all 
fifty  of  them.  Over  hills  and  rocks  he  fled  and 


Fig.  22.    Actaeon  killed  by  his  Dogs. 

longed  to  stop  and  cry :  "  I  am  Actaeon ;  know 
your  master!  "  But  the  words  would  not  come, 
and  all  the  air  resounded  with  the  baying  of  the 
dogs.  They  closed  in  on  him  and  tore  him  to 
pieces,  while  the  hunters,  who  had  urged  them 
on,  called  loudly  for  Actaeon,  eager  that  he  should 
have  a  share  in  such  good  sport.  It  is  said  that 


Apollo  and  Artemis  87 

when  the  dogs  recovered  from  their  madness, 
they  ran  howling  through  the  woods,  seeking  their 
master. 

Once  even  the  maiden  Artemis  loved  a  mortal. 
En  dym'i  on  was  a  shepherd  who  kept  his  flocks 


Fig.  23.    Sleeping   Endymion. 

on  Mt.  Latmos,  in  Asia  Minor.  As  she  drove 
her  chariot  across  the  sky  by  night,  Artemis 
looked  down  and  saw  the  youth  sleeping.  His 
beauty  as  he  lay  drew  the  moon-goddess  to  him 
in  love.  Each  night  she  left  her  course  to  descend 
to  the  mountain-top  and  kiss  the  shepherd.  Her 
long  absences  and  her  paleness  when  she  returned 


88     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

aroused  the  suspicions  of  the  other  Olympians, 
only  too  glad  to  detect  a  sign  of  weakness  in  the 
cold  maiden.  Wishing  to  remove  temptation 
from  her  way,  Zeus  gave  Endymion  his  choice 
between  death  in  any  form  and  perpetual  youth 
with  perpetual  sleep.  Endymion  chose  the  lat- 
ter, and  still  he  sleeps  in  his  cave  on  Mt.  Latmos, 
visited  each  night  by  the  moon-goddess,  who  si- 
lently and  sadly  kisses  his  pale  cheeks.  Nor  do 
his  flocks  suffer,  for  Artemis  drives  them  by  night 
to  rich  pastures  and  watches  over  their  increase. 
This  story  was  originally  told  of  Selene,  but 
later  the  Greeks  transferred  it  to  the  younger 
goddess. 

onon.  The  giant  O  ri'on,  too,  won  the  affection  of 
Artemis,  though  perhaps,  in  this  case,  she  looked 
upon  him  rather  as  a  congenial  companion  in 
hunting  than  as  a  lover.  He  was  a  son  of  Po- 
seidon and  had  from  his  father  the  power  of 
walking  through  the  sea  as  easily  as  he  walked 
on  the  land.  Because  he  was  too  hasty  in  his 
wooing  of  a  certain  girl,  her  father  made  him 
drunk  and  then  put  out  both  his  eyes.  Finding 
his  way  by  the  sound  of  the  hammers  to  He- 
phaestus' forge  in  Lesbos,  he  borrowed  one  of 
the  lame  god's  assistants  to  act  as  his  guide,  and 
so  came  to  the  far  east  where  the  sun  rises.  The 
brightness  of  the  sun-beams  restored  his  sight, 
and  Orion  became  a  constant  companion  of  Ar- 
temis. Apollo  disapproved  of  the  friendship, 


Apollo  and  Artemis  89 

and  one  day  he  challenged  his  sister  to  hit  with 
her  arrow  a  dark  speck  that  was  moving  on  the 
water;  it  was  too  late  when  she  learned  that  the 
mark  was  Orion's  dark  head.  As  she  could  not 
restore  him  to  life,  she  put  him  in  the  heavens 
as  a  constellation,  one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
beautiful  that  we  can  see.  All  the  winter  nights 
he  races  across  the  heavens  with  his  dog,  Sirius, 
at  his  heels,  or  he  pursues  the  seven  Ple'ia  des, 
maidens  changed  to  stars  that  one  sees  all 
crowded  together  and  pale  with  fright  as  they 
flee.  In  the  summer,  Orion  appears  in  the  east 
at  dawn,  for  he  loves  the  dawn-goddess  and, 
great  and  brilliant  as  he  is,  grows  pale  before  her. 

Artemis  appeared  under  quite  a  different  char-  Hecate, 
acter  as  Hec'a  te,  for  that  mysterious  deity,  who 
is  associated  with  witchcraft  and  the  horrors  of 
night  and  darkness,  is  but  another  form  of  the 
bright  moon-goddess.  Her  dark  and  mysterious 
knowledge,  such  knowledge  as  sorceresses  and 
witches  made  use  of  in  their  evil  charms,  came 
from  her  association  with  grave-yards  and  from 
the  celebration  of  her  worship  by  night  at  cross- 
roads, a  time  and  place  that  open  the  supersti- 
tious mind  to  impressions  of  terror  and  the  pres- 
ence of  mysterious  powers.13  She  was  a  goddess 

15  In  New  England,  at  the  time  of  the  witchcraft  panics, 
those  people  suspected  of  being  in  league  with  the  Devil 
were  believed  to  hold  their  dark  and  hateful  assemblies  by 
midnight  at  the  cross-roads. 


QO    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

of  triple  form;  her  three  faces  looked  down  the 
three  forks  of  the  roads  where  her  statue  was 
often  set  up.  The  baying  of  dogs  on  moonlight 
nights  was  thought  to  be  a  warning  of  her  ap- 
proach. 

Diana.  The  Latin  goddess  Diana  was  originally  a  spe- 
cial deity  of  women.  A  temple  was  dedicated  to 
her  in  a  lonely  wood  beside  the  lake  of  Nemi,  in 
the  Alban  Hills.  Here  all  the  towns  of  the 
Latins  united  in  her  worship.  This  shrine  is 
famous  because  of  the  gloomy  legends  connected 
with  it.  It  was  said  that  in  the  wood  grew  a  tree 
on  which  was  a  golden  bough,  and  that  he  who 
could  pluck  this  bough  and  slay  the  priest  who 
kept  the  shrine  thereby  succeeded  to  his  honor 
and  retained  it  until  he  himself  was  slain  by 
another.  Diana,  as  a  goddess  of  women  and  of 
nature,  became  identified  with  the  Greek  Artemis 
and  was  then  worshiped  as  goddess  of  the  moon 
and  the  chase. 


CHAPTER  V 
HERMES  AND  HESTIA 
i.  HERMES  (MERCURY) 

HERMES  was  the  messenger  of  Zeus,  the  con-  The  wind- 
god's  infancy 
ductor  of  souls  to  the  lower  world,  the  guardian 

of  ambassadors,  of  travelers  and  merchants,  the 
patron  of  trade,  skilled  in  all  wiles,  deceit  and 
trickery,  the  mischievous  thief ;  on  the  other  hand, 
a  shepherd  and  patron  of  shepherds.  He  was 
the  son  of  Zeus  by  Maia,  "  a  fair-tressed  nymph," 
who  gave  him  birth  in  a  cave  in  Arcadia  "  rich 
in  sheep."  16  In  the  morning  he  was  born,  and 
by  mid-day  he  stealthily  left  his  cradle  and  set 
forth  to  seek  adventure.  On  the  threshold  of 
the  cave  he  met  a  tortoise,  waddling  along  on  the 
grass.  At  once  the  ingenious  boy  saw  what  use 
he  could  make  of  it.  "  '  Hail  darling  and  dancer, 
friend  of  the  feast,  welcome  art  thou!  Whence 
gottest  thou  that  gay  garment,  a  speckled  shell, 
thou,  a  mountain-dwelling  tortoise?'  Then  he 
scooped  out  the  flesh  of  the  tortoise,  bored  holes 
through  its  shell,  covered  it  with  ox-hide,  put  on 
it  two  horns,  and  stretched  across  it  seven  strings. 

16  Following   the   Homeric   Hymn   to   Hermes.    Quota- 
tions from  the  translation  by  Andrew  Lang. 

91 


92     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Touching  the  strings  he  sang  gaily  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  the  newly-invented  lyre.  When  the 
chariot  of  Apollo  had  sunk  into  the  waves  of 
Ocean,  this  nimble  infant  left  his  cave  and  lyre, 
and  ran  to  the  shadowy  hills,  where  fed  the  cat- 
tle of  the  sun.  From  the  herd  he  separated  fifty 
cattle  and  drove  them  hither  and  thither  to  con- 
fuse their  tracks.  Next,  he  made  sandals  of 
woven  twigs  and  fastened  them  on  his  own  feet 
to  obscure  his  tracks,  and  so  drove  the  cattle  back- 
ward to  the  river.  Then  he  made  a  great  fire 
and  roasted  two  of  the  beasts.  Carefully  cov- 
ering up  the  marks  of  the  fire  and  the  feast,  and 
throwing  aside  his  sandals,  back  to  his  mother's 
cave  he  flew,  before  the  sun-god  should  rise 
in  the  east  and  catch  the  thief  at  his  work. 
Through  a  hole,  like  a  breath  of  wind,  he  en- 
tered the  cave,  and  treading  noiselessly,  climbed 
into  his  cradle  and  wrapped  about  himself  the 
swaddling-clothes.  But  Apollo,  when  morning 
rose  from  the  stream  of  Ocean,  missed  the  cattle 
and  questioned  an  old  man  who  was  digging  in 
a  vineyard  on  the  hillside.  From  the  old  fellow's 
account  of  the  marvelous  child  who  had  stolen 
the  cattle  Apollo  at  once  recognized  his  new- 
born brother.  When  that  little  thief  saw  Apollo, 
bent  on  vengeance,  enter  the  cave,  "  he  sank  down 
within  his  fragrant  swaddling-bands  and  curled 
himself  up,  feet,  head,  and  hands,  into  small  space, 
though  really  wide  awake,  and  his  tortoise-shell 


Fig.  24.    Hermes  in  Repose. 


Hermes  and  Hestia  95 

he  kept  beneath  his  arm-pit."  But  Apollo  saw 
through  the  wiles  of  the  cunning  baby  and  angrily 
threatened  to  throw  him  into  Tartarus.  In  vain 
did  Hermes  plead  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
cattle :  "  '  Other  cares  have  I,  sleep  and  mother's 
milk,  and  about  my  shoulders  swaddling-bands, 
and  warmed  baths.' '  He  dared  even  to  add  a 
great  oath  that  he  was  innocent.  As  Apollo  was 
far  from  satisfied,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  go  to  Olympus  and  put  their  dispute  before 
their  father  Zeus.  Even  there  the  crafty  little 
thief  dared  to  repeat  his  lies,  adding  submissively: 
"  '  The  Sun  I  greatly  revere,  and  other  gods,  and 
Thee  I  love,  and  him  I  dread  .  .  .  but  do  Thou 
aid  the  younger.' '  But  perhaps  because  the  in- 
fant could  not  refrain  from  adding  a  wink  to  his 
innocent  tale,  "  Zeus  laughed  aloud  at  the  sight 
of  his  evil-witted  child,"  and  bade  the  brothers 
be  reconciled  and  Hermes  show  Apollo  his  cat- 
tle. When  Apollo  was  again  roused  to  anger 
by  the  sight  of  the  hides  of  the  slain  cattle, 
Hermes  drew  forth  his  lyre  and  played  and  sang 
so  bewitchingly  that  Apollo  was  pacified  and 
gladly  formed  a  compact  with  his  clever  little 
brother;  Hermes  was  to  be  keeper  of  the  cattle 
and  give  to  Apollo  the  lyre,  which  was  ever 
afterwards  his  favorite  instrument.  In  this 
myth,  on  the  nature  side,  we  see  Hermes,  a  wind- 
god,  driving  off  the  clouds,  the  cattle  of  the  sun- 
god.  We  see,  too,  Hermes  as  the  herdsman, 


The  patron 
of  athletes, 
traders  and 
travelers. 


The  nerald  of 
Zeus  and  con- 
ductor of 
souls  to  the 
lower  world. 


Appearance 
and  emblems. 


96    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  inventor  and  the  cunning  thief;  perhaps  also, 
in  his  compact  with  Apollo,  we  see  him  as  the 
trader. 

Clever  and  agile,  good-humored  and  young, 
Hermes  was  the  patron  of  young  men,  and  to 
him  they  prayed,  especially  for  success  in  athletic 
contests.  His  statue  was  set  up  in  gymnasia ;  he 
presided,  too,  over  games  of  chance.  Both  by 
his  speed  in  hastening  from  land  to  land,  and  by 
his  smoothness  of  address  and  his  nimble  wit, 
he  was  the  natural  patron  of  traders.  In  the 
market-place,  the  commercial  and  financial  center 
of  Athens,  statues  of  Hermes  had  a  prominent 
place.  As  he  was  the  guide  of  travelers,  square 
blocks  topped  by  a  head  of  Hermes  marked  the 
cross-roads  and  the  important  street-crossings  in 
the  city.  It  was  the  mutilation  of  these  Hermre 
that  caused  such  a  panic  at  the  time  of  the  Athe- 
nian expedition  against  Sicily.  Alcibiades  was 
recalled  from  the  war  to  answer  to  the  charge  of 
having  impiously  destroyed  them. 

Hermes  is  best  known  as  herald  of  the  gods. 
At  Zeus's  bidding  he  binds  on  his  winged  sandals, 
takes  his  herald's  staff  in  hand,  and  flies  swiftly 
to  earth  to  carry  to  men  the  commands  of  the 
father.  It  is  he  who  conducts  to  Hades  the  soul 
when  it  leaves  the  body,  and  gives  it  into  the 
charge  of  the  gods  of  the  lower  world. 

Hermes  is  represented  as  a  young  man  with 
close-cropped  curly  hair,  vivacious  look,  and 


Hermes  and  Hestia  97 

agile,  vigorous  frame.  He  wears  his  winged  san- 
dals, often  a  traveler's  hat  or  a  winged  cap ;  other- 
wise he  is  usually  nude.  In  his  hand  he  carries 
his  caduceus,  or  herald's  staff,  winged  at  the  top, 
with  two  serpents  twined  about  it.  He  most 
fully  expresses  the  character  of  the  Greek  peo- 


Fig.  25.    Hermes  from  Olympia. 

pie,  as  a  French  writer  (Collignon)  says,  "the 
inventive  genius,  the  alert  intelligence,  the 
physical  vigor,  developed  and  made  supple  by  the 
training  of  the  palestra." 

The  worship  of  Hermes  under  the  name  of  Mercury. 
Mercury  was  introduced  into  Rome  at  a  time 
when  there  was  anxiety  about  the  grain  trade 


98     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

with  South  Italy.  His  function  as  patron  of 
commerce  was,  therefore,  his  most  important 
one  in  Rome. 

ii.  HESTIA  (VESTA) 

of"t!ieddes8  While  the  fire  of  the  forge  is  typified  by  He- 
hearth-fire,  phaestus,  Hes'ti  a  represents  another  aspect,  the 
fire  on  the  hearth,  the  natural  altar  and  the  spir- 
itual center  of  family  life.  About  the  hearth 
the  gods  of  the  family  had  their  places ;  here  the 
family  celebrated  their  festivals;  here  the  stranger 
found  protection,  and  about  it  every  new-born 
infant  was  carried  as  a  symbol  of  his  admission 
to  the  family  life.  So,  too,  the  city,  as  the  larger 
family,  had  its  common  hearth  whereon  the  holy 
fire  of  Hestia  must  always  be  kept  lighted.  And 
when  a  group  of  citizens,  self-exiled  from  their 
home,  set  out  under  Apollo's  sanction  to  found 
a  colony,  the  hearth  of  the  new  home  on  the  for- 
eign shore  must  receive  a  fire  kindled  at  the  hearth 
of  Hestia  in  the  mother-city.  Thus  the  spiritual 
bond  between. the  parted  kinsmen  remained  un- 
broken, and  the  same  goddess  held  the  new  homes 
under  her  protection.  Moreover,  the  essential 
brotherhood  of  all  true  Hellenes  was  symbolized 
in  the  great  hearth-fire  of  Hestia  at  the  center  of 
the  Greek  world,  Delphi.  So  closely  is  Hestia 
identified  with  the  fire  of  the  hearth  that  no  fur- 
ther outward  form  was  needed  —  statues  of  her 
are  rare.  As  eldest  sister  of  Zeus  she  is,  how- 


Hermes  and  Hestia  99 

ever,  represented  as  a  woman  of  stately  form  and 
calm,   benign  expression,  dressed  in  the  double 


Fig.  26.    Hestia. 

chiton  or  tunic  of  a  Greek  lady,  her  head  covered 
with  a  veil. 

A  passage  in  the  Homeric  Hymn  to  Aphrodite 
shows  the  respect  that  Hestia  enjoyed  among  the 
gods  of  Olympus: 


10O     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Nor  to  the  revered  maiden  Hestia  are  the  feats  of 
Aphrodite  a  joy,  eldest  daughter  of  crooked-counseled 
Cronus,  that  lady  whom  both  Poseidon  and  Apollo 
sought  to  win.  But  she  would  not,  nay  stubbornly  she 
refused;  and  she  swore  a  great  oath  fulfilled,  with  her 
hand  on  Father  Zeus  of  the  ^Egis,  to  be  a  maiden  for- 
ever, that  lady  goddess.  And  to  her  Father  Zeus  gave 
a  goodly  mede  of  honor,  in  lieu  of  wedlock;  and  in 
mid-hall  she  sat  her  down,  choosing  the  best  portion ; 
and  in  all  the  temples  of  the  gods  is  she  honored,  and 
among  all  mortals  is  chief  of  gods. 

vesta.  The  Roman  Vesta  is  identical  with  Hestia  of 
the  Greeks.  At  Rome  the  small  round  temple 
of  Vesta  in  the  Forum  was  the  religious  center 
of  the  community.  Here  no  image  of  the  god- 
dess was  needed,  but  her  fire,  kindled  yearly  on 
June  1 5th  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  by  means  of 
a  burning-glass,  was  kept  always  lighted  by  the 
Vestal  Virgins.  These  maidens  were  drawn 
from  the  noblest  families  of  Rome,  and  served 
the  goddess  for  thirty  years  under  a  vow  of  vir- 
ginity. Every  honor  was  paid  them,  and  they 
could  extend  their  protection  over  whom  they 
would ;  even  a  criminal  who  met  a  Vestal  on  his 
way  to  execution  might  thus  gain  his  freedom. 
Any  disrespect  to  a  member  of  the  order  was 
punished  by  death,  and  their  influence  on  state 
affairs  was  often  considerable.  On  the  other 
hand,  as  any  breaking  of  the  vow  of  virginity 
brought  pollution  to  the  city  hearth  and  evil  to 


Hermes  and  Hestia 


101 


the  community,  such  unfaithfulness  was  pitilessly 
punished;  the  guilty  priestess  was  buried  alive. 
When  the  Roman  emperor  wished  to  demonstrate 
that  he  was  the  center  as  well  of  the  religious  as 
of  the  political  life  of  Rome,  he  transferred  the 


Fig.  27.     Genius  and  Lares. 

hearth  of  Vesta  from  the  Forum  to  the  Palatine 
Hill,  where  his  palace  was. 

Associated  with  the  worship  of  Vesta  at  the 
family  hearth  was  the  worship  of  the  Lares  and  family 
Pe  na'tes,  the  gods  of  home  and  of  the  household 
store.     Their  images  must  be  guarded  jealously 


1O2     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

by  the  householder,  and  must  go  with  him,  should 
he  be  forced  to  leave  his  old  home  for  a  new  one. 
So  JE  ne'as,  when  fleeing  from  Troy,  bids  his 
father  on  the  flight  to  hold  fast  to  the  penates. 
(jEneid,  II.  717.) 


Fig.  28,     Ares  with  Eros. 


CHAPTER  VI 
ARES  AND  APHRODITE 

i.  ARES  (MARS) 
IF  Athena,  as  the  warlike  defender  of  right   The  god 

of  war. 

and  justice,  the  protector  of  cities,  enjoyed  the 
honor  of  all  men  and  the  fullest  share  in  her 
mighty  father's  confidence,  it  was  far  otherwise 
with  Ares,  the  god  of  war  and  battle.  Zeus  de- 
clares in  his  anger, 

"  Most  hateful  to  me  art  thou  of  all  the  gods  that 
dwell  on  Olympus ;  thou  ever  lovest  strife  and  wars 
and  battles."  (Iliad,  V.  890.) 

Athena  addresses  him  as, 

"  Ares,  Ares,  blood-stained  bane  of  mortals,  thou 
stormer  of  walls."  (Iliad,  V.  31.) 

He    was    the    personification    of    battle,    always- 
thirsting  for  blood ;  his  worship  originated  among 
the  savage  tribes  of  Thrace.     He  was  drawn  in 
his  chariot  by  his  fiery  horses,  Fear  and  Dread, 
borne  by  a  Fury  to  the  North  Wind,  and  was 
attended  by  Strife,  Rout,  Terror,  and  Battle-din. 
In  art,  however,  this  blood-stained  Ares  gave 
105 


io6    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

place  to  a  much  milder  conception.  In  the  fourth 
century  B.C.  he  appears  as  a  young  man  with  spir- 
ited but  somewhat  thoughtful  face,  and  slender, 
graceful,  nude  form.  Often  he  has  no  arms 


Fig.  29.    Bearded  Mars. 

other  than  a  helmet  and  a  shield  or  club.  He  is 
frequently  seen  with  Aph  re  di'te  (Venus),  god- 
dess of  love  and  beauty,  or  their  child,  Eros 
(Cupid).  For  Aphrodite,  t<red  of  her  marriage 
with  the  lame  god  of  fire,  Hephaestus,  into  which 
she  was  forced  by  Zeus,  yielded  to  the  love  of 
Ares.  Homer  tells  how  H\  phaestus,  told  of  his 
wife's  infidelity  by  the  sur -god,  forged  a  net, 
fine  as  a  spider's  web,  whe,  ein  he  insnared  the 


Fig.  30.    Aphrodite  of  Cnidos. 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  109 

guilty  lovers  so  that  they  could  not  move  a  limb. 
Here  he  held  them  prisoners,  a  laughing-stock  to 
all  the  gods.17 

From  Ares  was  derived  the  name,  A  re  op'a- 
gus,  of  the  hill  near  the  Acropolis  in  Athens, 
where  cases  of  murder  were  tried  in  old  times. 

Worshiped  as  Mars,  in  Rome  the  war-god  oc-  Mars, 
cupied  a  much  higher  place  than  in  Athens.  To 
him  was  dedicated  the  Campus  Martius,  a  field 
where  the  army  met  to  be  numbered,  and  to  him, 
on  the  return  of  a  victorious  army,  were  dedi- 
cated the  spoils  of  war.  Through  his  son 
Romulus,  the  legendary  founder  of  the  city  of 
Rome,  the  Romans  claimed  the  special  favor  of 
the  war-god.  (See  p.  348.)  With  Mars  was 
associated  Bel  lo'na,  a  goddess  personifying  war. 

n.  APHRODITE  (VENUS) 
Aph  ro  di'te    was    the    goddess    of    love    and  Her  birth  and 

.  marriages. 

beauty.  According  to  one  story  she  was  the 
daughter  of  Zeus  and  the  goddess  Dio'ne;  ac- 
cording to  the  better  known  story  she  sprang 
from  the  foam  of  the  sea  and  was  wafted  gently 
over  the  crest  of  the  waves  to  Cyprus,  her  sacred 
island. 

Her  did  the  golden-snooded  Hours  gladly  welcome, 
and  clad  her  about  in  immortal  raiment,  and  on  her 
deathless  head  set  a  well-wrought  crown,  fair  and 
golden,  and  in  her  ears  put  ear-rings  of  orichalcum  and 

«  Odyssey.  VTIT.  266 


11O    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 


Fig.   31.     Birth    of    Aphrodite   from   the    Sea. 

of  precious  gold.  Her  delicate  neck  and  white  bosom 
they  adorned  with  chains  of  gold,  wherewith  are  be- 
decked the  golden-snooded  Hours  themselves,  when 
they  come  to  the  glad  dance  of  the  Gods  in  the  dwelling 
of  the  Father.  And  when  they  had  adorned  her  in  all 
goodliness  they  led  her  to  the  Immortals,  who  gave  her 
greeting  when  they  beheld  her,  and  welcomed  her  with 
their  hands;  and  each  God  prayed  that  he  might  lead 
her  home  to  be  his  wedded  wife,  so  much  they  mar- 
veled at  the  beauty  of  the  fair-garlanded  Cytherean. 
(Homeric  Hymn  to  Aphrodite.) 

But  Zeus  gave  her  as  wife  to  the  lame  fire-god 
Hephaestus.  It  has  been  already  told  how  she 
left  him  for  Ares,  and  how  Hephaestus  avenged 
himself  and  held  them  up  to  the  ridicule  of  the 
other  Olympians.  Because  of  her  beauty  and 
her  power  over  the  hearts  of  men  and  gods, 
Aphrodite  naturally  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  ill 

other  goddesses.  Hera  never  forgave  the  Tro- 
jan Paris  for  awarding  her  the  famous  golden 
apple. 

To  the  marriage  of  Pe'leus  and  the  sea-god-  The  Apple 

of  Discord. 

cless  Thetis  all  the  gods  were  invited  except  Ens, 
the  Goddess  of  Discord.  To  avenge  herself  for 
this  neglect,  Eris  threw  among  the  guests  a 
golden  apple  bearing  the  inscription,  "  For  the 


Fig.  32.    Judgment  of  Paris. 

Fairest."  Hera,  Athena,  and  Aphrodite  each 
claimed  the  apple.  Unwilling  to  expose  himself 
to  the  storm  of  wrath  a  choice  among  the  three 
would  raise,  Zeus  sent  them  to  appear  for  judg- 
ment before  Paris.  This  Paris,  the  son  of  the 
king  of  Troy,  had  been  exposed  as  an  infant  and 
brought  up  among  shepherds,  and  was  now  keep- 
ing his  sheep  on  Mt.  Ida.  The  three  goddesses 
came  before  him,  arrayed  in  all  their  charms,  and 


112    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

each  demanded  judgment  in  her  favor.  As  a 
bribe,  Hera  offered  him  power  and  riches; 
Athena,  glory  in  war;  and  Aphrodite,  the  most 
beautiful  woman  in  the  world  as  his  wife. 
Whether  influenced  by  her  promise  or  by  the  sur- 
passing charms  of  golden-crowned  Aphrodite, 
Paris  decided  in  her  favor,  and  she  triumphantly 
bore  off  the  golden  apple.  To  Paris  and  the 
Trojans  this  judgment  proved  a  curse,  since  the 
fulfilment  of  Aphrodite's  promise  in  giving  to 
Paris  Menelaiis'  wife,  Helen,  was  the  cause  of 
the  Trojan  War,  which  ended  in  the  utter  de- 
struction of  the  city.  j£  • 
Her  appear-  In  the  figure  of  Aphrodite  Greek  artists  tried 
emblems.  to  express  their  ideal  of  beauty  and  of  womanly 

charm.     She  is  less  stately  than  Hera,  with  less 

.i»f*'i 

of  strength  and  intellectuality  than  Athena. 
Earlier  artists  represented  her  covered  by  a  thin 
clinging  garment,  but  the  statues  of  a  later  date 
are  usually  quite  nude.  Her  emblems  are  the 
apple  and  pomegranate,  the  rose  and  the  myrtle, 
and  the  tortoise.  Her  chariot  is  drawn  by  spar- 
rows or  doves,  or,  on  the  waters,  to  betoken  her 
birth  from  the  sea,  by  swans. 

Her  powers.  Not  only  men  and  gods,  but  all  creation  wit- 
ness to  Aphrodite's  power.  By  her  child  Eros 
(or  Cupid)  all  nature  is  given  life  and  the  power 
to  reproduce  itself.  Through  her  power  birds 
and  beasts  mate  and  give  birth  to  their  young; 
through  her  all  green  things  grow  and  put  forth 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  113 

seeds.  And  so  her  divine  power  is  shown  in  the 
spring,  and  when  the  gentle  west  wind  breathed 
over  the  land  and  all  the  earth  grew  green  and 
fertile,  the  Greeks  sang  songs  of  praise  to  violet- 
crowned  Aphrodite  and  held  a  festival  in  her 
honor.  But  when  the  hot  Greek  summer  came, 
scorching  the  blossoms  and  robbing  the  fields  of 
their  beauty,  then  a  note  of  deep  sadness  came 
into  the  worship  of  Aphrodite  with  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Adonis  feast. 

A  do'nis  was  a  beauti  f ul  youth  who  grew  up  Adonis, 
under  the  care  of  the  nymphs.  Aphrodite,  vic- 
tim of  the  same  love  that  made  her  powerful  over 
all  others,  loved  this  youth  and  devoted  herself 
to  the  enjoyment  of  his  company.  For  his  sake 
she  dressed  herself  like  the  huntress  Artemis  and 
spent  her  days  roaming  over  the  hills  with  him 
and  following  the  chase.  Dreading  his  rashness, 
she  made  him  promise  to  hunt  no  dangerous 
beasts,  but  to  be  content  with  deer  and  hares  and 
other  innocent  game.  One  day,  after  warning 
him  thus,  she  entered  her  chariot  drawn  by  swans 
and  drove  away  to  Olympus.  Adonis,  on  the 
track  of  a  wild  boar,  forgot  his  promise,  entered 
on  the  chase,  and  wounded  the  boar,  which  turned 
on  him  and  drove  its  white  tusk  into  his 
tender  side.  As  the  boy  lay  dying.  Aphrodite, 
distraught  with  anguish,  came  to  him.  Unable 
to  save  her  lover,  she  caused  to  grow  from  the 
drops  of  his  blood  the  anemone  or  wind-flower, 


114    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

a  delicate  purple  flower  that  grows  plentifully  in 
the  Greek  meadows  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 
In  this  story  Adonis  is  the  springtime,  killed  by 
the  fierce  heat  of  summer.  Each  year  in  com- 
memoration of  his  death  the  people  went  through 


Fig.  33-    Venus  of  Aries. 

the  city  in  procession,  carrying  a  bier  whereon 
lay  a  wax  figure  of  Adonis,  covered  with  flowers, 
while  the  women  chanted  the  lament. 

Low  on  the  hills  is  lying  the  lovely  Adonis,  and  hi? 
thigh  with  the  boar's  tusk,  his  white  thigh  with  the 
boar's  tusk,  is  wounded,  and  sorrow  on  Cypris  (Aphro- 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  115 

dite)   he  brings,  as  softly  he  breathes  his  life  away. 
(Bion,  Idyl,  I.  7  ff .     Translation  by  Andrew  Lang.) 

At  dawn  the  image  was  thrown  into  the  sea. 
Yet  the  mourning  ended  with  joyful  anticipation 
of  Adonis'  return  from  the  lower  world  at  the 
coming  of  the  next  spring. 

Venus  was  an  old  Italian  goddess,  the  giver  of  Venus, 
bloom  and  fruit  fulness  in  nature,  the  protectress 
of  gardens.     The  Romans  identified  her  with  the 
Greek  Aphrodite,  the  bountiful  goddess  of  love 
and  beauty. 

Aphrodite  or  Venus  was  always  ready  to  help 
lovers  who  were  wise  enough  to  go  to  her.  The 
following  famous  love  stories  are  some  of  the 
many  that  witness  to  her  power. 

At  a  lan'ta  had  been  warned  by  the  gods  that  Atlanta's 

J  race,  is 

she  should  never  marry;  she  therefore  lived  a 
maiden  in  the  forests  and  devoted  herself  to  the 
service  of  Artemis  and  the  hunt.  To  the  throng 
of  lovers  who  sought  her  hand  she  always  an- 
swered :  "  I  am  not  to  be  won  unless  first  van- 
quished in  a  race.  Contend  with  me !  My  hand 
shall  be  the  victor's  reward,  death  the  penalty  of 
the  vanquished."  Yet  so  great  was  the  power  of 
her  beauty  that  even  on  these  hard  conditions 
many  entered  the  contest. 

Hip  pom'e  nes  had  come  as  a  spectator,  and, 
despising  women,  had  laughed  at  the  folly  of 

18  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  X.  560  ff. 


n6    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

those  who  entered  the  race.  But  when  he  saw 
the  maiden  the  mocking  laugh  died  on  his  lips. 
As  she  ran  Atalanta  grew  continually  more  beau- 
tiful in  his  eyes;  he  hated  his  rivals  and  dreaded 
their  success.  The  goal  was  reached,  the  crown 
of  victory  placed  on  Atalanta's  head,  and  her  suit- 
ors paid  the  penalty.  Hippomenes  was  by  no 
means  deterred  by  their  fate;  he  leaped  into  the 
race-course  and  facing  Atalanta  said :  "  It  is  an 
easy  title  to  fame  you  seek  against  those  slow 
runners !  Contend  with  me,  the  grandson  of  Po- 
seidon, and  if  you  win  you  will  gain  a  name  worth 
winning!  "  Atalanta  looked  at  him  and  seemed 
to  doubt  whether  she  would  rather  vanquish  or 
be  vanquished.  "  What  god,"  said  she,  "  wishes 
to  destroy  him  and  bids  him  to  seek  me  as  wife, 
at  such  a  risk?  I  am  not  worth  such  a  price. 
It  is  not  that  I  am  touched  by  his  beauty  — 
though  I  might  well  be  touched  by  it  —  but  he  is 
still  a  boy;  his  youth  moves  me.  Depart,  stran- 
ger, while  you  can;  some  other  maiden  would 
be  willing  to  be  your  wife.  Yet  why  should  I 
pity  you,  when  I  have  let  so  many  others  meet 
their  fate  ?  But  I  wish  that  you  should  depart  — 
or,  since  you  are  so  foolish,  I  could  wish  that 
you  were  swifter!"  So  she  hesitated;  but  the 
on-lookers  demanded  the  race. 

Then  Hippomenes  called  upon  Aphrodite  to 
help  a  daring  lover,  and  the  goddess  heard. 
From  a  tree  of  golden  apples  she  picked  three 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  117 

and  gave  them  to  Hippomenes.  The  trumpeters 
gave  the  signal ;  the  racers  darted  forward.  The 
spectators  shouted  encouragement  to  the  youth: 
"  Now,  now  is  the  time !  Quick,  quick,  Hip- 
pomenes!" Many  times  when  she  could  have 
passed  him  the  maiden  delayed  an  instant;  but 
the  goal  was  still  far  off,  and  averting  her  eyes 
she  darted  ahead.  Then  Hippomenes  threw  one 
of  the  golden  apples.  The  maiden's  eye  was 
caught  by  the  gleam  of  the  gold;  she  turned 
aside  and  picked  up  the  fruit.  Hippomenes 
passed  by ;  the  air  resounded  with  applause.  At- 
alanta  made  up  for  the  delay  by  an  effort  and 
was  once  more  ahead.  Delayed  by  the  throwing 
of  a  second  apple,  she  again  caught  up  and  passed 
her  competitor.  Only  a  short  space  remained. 
"  Now  be  with  me  and  help  me,  Aphrodite !  "  he 
prayed.  Toward  the  side  of  the  course  with 
all  his  strength  he  threw  the  last  of  the  golden 
apples.  The  girl  seemed  for  an  instant  to  hesi- 
tate, but  Aphrodite  forced  her  to  turn  aside  once 
more.  Hippomenes  was  victor  and  claimed  his 
reward. 

In  his  victory,  Hippomenes  unluckily  forgot 
to  give  thanks  to  Aphrodite,  and  she,  wishing  in 
her  anger  to  destroy  him,  tempted  him  to  pro- 
fane the  temple  of  Cybele  (see  p.  153),  the  great 
mother  of  the  gods.  In  punishment  Cybele 
changed  the  pair  into  lions  and  forced  them  to 
draw  her  chariot. 


n8     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Pyg  ma'li  on  was  the  king  of  Cyprus  and  a 
Gaiatea.  great  sculptor.  He  made  out  of  ivory  a  statue 
of  Aphrodite,  so  beautiful  that  he  fell  in  love 
with  it.  As  if  he  had  a  living  woman  before 
him  he  spoke  to  the  image,  embraced  and  kissed 
it.  He  brought  to  her  all  sorts  of  presents  such 
as  please  maidens,  costly  dresses,  necklaces,  and 
ear-rings.  He  called  her  his  wife.  At  a  fes- 
tival of  Aphrodite,  who  was  especially  worshiped 
on  the  island,  he  offered  sacrifice  and  prayed  the 
goddess  to  give  him  a  wife  exactly  like  the  ivory 
image.  When  he  came  home  and  embraced  the 
statue  it  seemed  to  him  to  return  the  pressure; 
the  ivory  cheeks  glowed  with  a  warm  flush;  the 
eyes  answered  his  tender  glances ;  the  lips  opened 
to  respond  to  his  endearments.  The  goddess  had 
granted  him  more  than  he  had  dared  to  ask. 
Hero  and  In  Abydos,  on  one  side  of  the  Hellespont  (now 
the  Dardanelles),  lived  a  young  man  named  Le- 
ander;  on  the  opposite  side  in  Sestos,  a  maiden 
named  Hero  lived  in  a  tower  by  the  shore  and 
cared  for  Aphrodite's  sacred  swans  and  sparrows. 
At  a  festival  of  the  goddess  the  two  met  and 
immediately  fell  in  love.  Though  they  were  for- 
bidden to  see  one  another,  every  night  Leander 
swam  across  the  Hellespont  and  stayed  with  Hero 
until  dawn  began  to  break.  One  night  the  wind 
was  high  and  the  water  dangerous,  but  the  lover 
was  not  deterred.  At  first  love  bore  him  up, 
and  the  light  his  lady  showed  guided  his  way. 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  119 

But  the  wind  blew  out  the  flame;  his  strength 
failed  him  and  the  waters  closed  over  his  head. 
Hero  watched  out  the  night  in  an  agony  of  fear; 
at  dawn  she  found  her  lover's  body  washed 
ashore.19 

Pyr'a  mus    and    Thisbe,    living:    in    adioinins;  Pyramus  and 

»  J  >    Thisbe.  20 

houses  in  Babylon,  came  to  know  one  another, 
and  in  time  the  acquaintance  grew  into  love. 
They  would  have  married,  but  their  fathers  for- 
bade it.  They  could  speak  only  by  nods  and 
signs,  but  the  more  the  love  was  kept  secret  the 
more  ardent  it  became.  In  the  high  wall  that 
separated  the  two  gardens  they  had  found  a  tiny 
crack,  through  which,  without  exciting  suspicion, 
they  might  murmur  endearments.  "  O  hateful 
wall,"  they  would  say,  "  why  do  you  stand  in  the 
way  of  lovers?  How  small  a  thing  it  would  be 
for  you  to  allow  us  to  be  united,  or,  if  that  is  too 
much  to  ask,  that  you  would  at  least  open  a  way 
for  our  kisses !  We  are  not  ungrateful ;  we  con- 
fess that  it  is  to  you  we  owe  the  chance  to  hear 
each  other's  voices."  Speaking  thus  they  said 
good-night  and  pressed  their  lips  each  to  his  own 
side  of  the  unresponsive  wall.  One  day,  after 
indulging  in  these  vain  regrets,  they  came  to  a 

19  The   English   poet   Byron,   who   swam   the   strait   as 
Leander  did,  says  that  at  this  point  the  Hellespont  is  not 
more  than  a  mile  wide,  but  that  the  swimmer  is  carried 
down  so  far  by  the  swiftness  of  the  current  that  the  dis- 
tance covered  is  not  less  than  four  miles. 

20  Following  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  VI,  55  ff. 


120    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

desperate  resolve.  When  the  silence  of  night  had 
fallen  they  would  escape  their  guardians'  watch- 
ful eyes  and  go  out  from  home.  They  agreed 
to  meet  at  the  tomb  of  Ninus,  where  a  white 
mulberry  tree  grew  beside  a  spring. 

The  long  day  wore  away  and  at  last  night 
came.  Thisbe  cautiously  opened  the  door  and 
passed  out  unobserved.  She  had  come  to  the 
tomb  and  seated  herself  under  the  mulberry  tree, 
when  lo!  a  lioness,  her  foaming  jaws  smeared 
with  the  blood  of  fresh-slain  cattle,  came  to 
drink  at  the  spring.  By  the  rays  of  the  moon 
poor  Thisbe  saw  her,  and  with  trembling  feet 
she  fled  to  a  cave  near  by.  As  she  fled  she 
dropped  her  cloak.  The  lioness,  having  drunk 
her  fill,  was  returning  to  the  forest  when  she 
chanced  to  see  the  cloak  where  it  lay.  She  tore 
it  with  her  bloody  jaws  and  so  left  it. 

Pyramus,  coming  somewhat  late,  saw  in  the 
sand  the  tracks  of  the  beast.  He  grew  pale. 
He  saw  the  garment  stained  with  blood.  "  One 
night  shall  destroy  two  lovers,"  said  he.  "  Un- 
happy girl,  it  is  I  that  have  been  your  death.  I 
bade  you  come  by  night  to  a  fearsome  place,  and 
came  not  first  myself.  Tear  my  body  in  pieces 
and  devour  my  flesh,  ye  lions  that  live  among 
the  rocks!  But  it  is  the  part  of  a  coward  only 
to  wish  for  death."  He  raised  Thisbe's  mantle, 
and  weeping,  pressed  kisses  upon  it.  "  Receive 
my  blood !  "  he  cried,  and  plunged  his  sword  into 


Ares  and  Aphrodite  121 

his  breast.  The  blood  spurted  high,  and  falling 
upon  the  mulberry  tree  stained  the  white  berries 
a  dark  purple. 

Thisbe,  still  trembling  with  fright,  yet  unwill- 
ing to  fail  her  lover,  returned  to  seek  him. 
When  she  came  to  the  spot  the  changed  color 
of  the  berries  made  her  uncertain  whether  she 
was  right.  While  she  hesitated  in  bewilderment, 
she  saw  the  body  lying  on  the  ground.  Shudder- 
ing, she  recognized  her  lover  and  raised  a  cry  of 
anguish,  beating  her  breast  and  tearing  her  hair. 
She  embraced  the  limp  form  and,  raining  kisses 
upon  the  cold  lips,  cried :  "  O  Pyramus,  what 
cruel  fate  has  snatched  you  from  me  ?  Pyramus, 
answer!  Your  dearest  Thisbe  calls  you.  Hear 
me,  and  lift  your  drooping  head!  "  At  the  name 
of  Thisbe,  Pyramus  raised  his  eyes,  already 
heavy  in  death,  and  having  seen  her,  closed  them. 
And  she,  recognizing  her  cloak  and  the  naked 
sword,  cried  aloud  again:  "If  your  hand  and 
your  love  have  destroyed  you,  unhappy  Pyramus, 
I  too  have  a  hand  bold  for  this  one  deed.  Love 
shall  give  me  too  strength  for  the  blow.  I  shall 
follow  you,  at  once  the  cause  and  the  companion 
of  your  death.  You  who  could  be  torn  from  me 
by  death  alone  shall  be  torn  from  me  not  even 
by  death."  She  spoke,  and  placing  the  point 
under  her  breast,  fell  upon  the  sword.  The 
ashes  of  the  lovers  rest  in  one  urn,  and  still  the 
mulberry  mourns  in  dark  purple. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE  LESSER  DEITIES  OF  OLYMPUS 

OF  the  twelve  great  gods  and  goddesses  that 
made  up  the  Olympic  Council,  ten  have  been  al- 
ready described.  These  are :  Zeus,  Hephaestus, 
Apollo,  Hermes,  Ares,  Hera,  Athena,  Hestia, 
Artemis,  Aphrodite.  The  two  that  remain  are 
Poseidon,  god  of  the  sea,  and  Demeter,  the 
grain-goddess,  of  whom  later  chapters  will  tell. 
Besides  these  greater  gods  there  were  many  lesser 
deities.  Those  that  had  a  place  in  Olympus  are 
described  in  this  chapter. 

i.  EROS  (CUPID) 

Eros,  or  Cupid,  was  the  child  of  Aphrodite, 
some  say  by  Ares.  The  conception  of  him  as  a 
little  winged  boy  is  later,  originally  he  was  con- 
ceived as  a  youth.  Against  his  arrows  no  man 
or  god  was  safe,  for  they  inspired  the  passion 
of  love.  But  once  his  weapons  wounded  their 
master  himself  and  he  fell  under  the  spell  of 
Psyche. 


122 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     123 

THE    STORY    OF    CUPID    AND    PSYCHE  21 

There  were  once  a  king  and  queen  who  had 
three  daughters.     While  the  beauty  of  the  two 


Fig.  34.     Eros  or  Cupid. 

elder  sisters  was  remarkable,  that  of  the  youngest 
was  beyond  the  power  of  human  tongue  to  ex- 

21  Apuleius,  a  Latin  poet  of  the  2d  Century  A.D.,  tells  this 
story  in  its  fully  developed  form.  It  differs  greatly  in 
style  and  character  from  the  mythological  stories  of  early 


124    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

press.  The  fame  of  her  beauty  drew  people  from 
the  most  distant  lands  to  see  her ;  men  said  that 
this  was  no  mortal  maid,  but  that  Venus  her- 
self had  deserted  the  heavens  and  come  to  dwell 
on  earth.  The  shrines  of  the  goddess  were  de- 
serted, and  the  ashes  grew  cold  on  her  altars; 
the  worship  due  to  her  was  paid  to  the  maiden. 
Enraged  at  this  transference  of  her  honors  to 
another,  Venus  called  to  her  help  her  winged 
son  Cupid,  that  pert  and  mischief-making  boy. 
"  I  conjure  you  by  your  love  for  your  mother," 
said  she,  "  punish  this  rebellious  beauty  and 
avenge  the  insult  to  me.  Inspire  her  with  love 
for  the  lowest  of  beings,  one  so  degraded  that 
in  the  wide  world  is  not  his  like." 

Now  while  the  two  elder  sisters  were  happily 
married  to  princes,  the  divine  perfection  of 
Psyche's  beauty  and  the  ill-will  of  the  goddess 
had  hindered  suitors  from  aspiring  to  her  love. 
Her  parents,  therefore,  suspecting  that  in  some 
way  they  had  offended  the  gods,  consulted  the 
oracle  of  Apollo.  The  answer  was  given: 
"  Hope  for  no  mortal  son-in-law ;  the  maiden  is 
destined  to  be  the  bride  of  a  monster  before 
whose  flames  and  weapons  Jupiter  himself  trem- 

Greece,  and  has  many  of  the  features  of  the  fairy  tales  of 
other  European  peoples.  To  omit  the  details  would  so  de- 
tract from  its  interest  and  charm  that  it  is  here  given  at 
some  length.  Following  Apuleius,  Latin  names  are  em- 
ployed. 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     125 

bles.  To  meet  her  husband  the  maiden  must  be 
led  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  there  left." 
The  king  and  queen,  though  overcome  with  grief, 
prepared  to  obey  the  oracle.  Dressed  as  a  bride 
and  accompanied  by  a  procession,  funereal  rather 
than  bridal,  Psyche  was  led  to  the  destined  spot. 
A  day  of  mourning  was  proclaimed  in  the  city, 
and  the  parents  and  friends  were  dissolved  in 
tears. 

Scarcely  was  Psyche  left  alone  upon  the  moun- 
tain, when  Zephyr  (the  west  wind),  tenderly  lift- 
ing the  trembling  maiden,  wafted  her  gently  to 
a  flowery  valley  below.  Before  her  she  saw  a 
grove  and  in  the  midst  of  it  a  fountain.  Near 
the  fountain  rose  a  wonderful  palace  —  surely 
the  home  of  some  god !  For  the  ceilings  of  cedar 
and  ivory  were  supported  on  golden  columns, 
while  the  walls  were  covered  with  silver  wrought 
in  marvelous  designs.  The  pavement  was  a  mo- 
saic of  precious  stones.  Filled  with  wonder  and 
delight,  Psyche  plucked  up  courage  to  enter  and 
examine  the  unguarded  treasures  of  the  place. 
No  one  appeared,  but  a  voice  spoke  softly  to  her: 
"  Why  are  you  astonished,  Lady  ?  All  these 
riches  are  yours.  Yonder  is  your  bed-chamber. 
When  you  have  rested  and  refreshed  yourself 
by  the  bath,  we,  your  attendants,  will  wait  upon 
you  diligently,  dress  you  and  prepare  for  you  a 
royal  banquet."  Her  fears  allayed  by  the  gentle 
voice,  Psyche  did  as  she  was  bidden,  and  in  due 


time  partook  of  a  feast  exquisitely  prepared  and 
served  by  invisible  attendants,  while  bodiless  mu- 
sicians sang  to  the  accompaniment  of  an  unseen 
lyre.  That  night  the  master  of  the  place  came  to 
her  and  made  her  his  wife,  but  before  the  light  he 
disappeared.  Thus  it  happened  each  night,  and 
she  learned  to  look  forward  to  his  coming  and 
to  love  him  for  his  sweet  voice  and  his  tender 
caresses,  though  she  had  never  seen  him.  In 
the  day,  however,  with  only  the  bodiless  voices 
to  people  her  solitude,  she  felt  lonely,  and  sor- 
rowed to  leave  her  family  in  ignorance  of  her 
fate.  She  told  her  trouble  to  her  husband  and 
entreated  him  to  allow  her  to  see  her  sisters.  At 
last  he  unwillingly  yielded  to  her  caresses,  warn- 
ing her  solemnly,  however,  that  she  must  not 
listen  to  her  sisters'  persuasions  and  attempt  to 
see  or  inquire  about  her  husband's  form.  "  Dis- 
obedience," said  he,  "  will  bring  sorrow  upon  me 
and  destruction  upon  you,  sweet  Wife." 

The  following  day,  when  the  two  sisters  came 
to  the  mountain  and  called  upon  Psyche  by  name, 
beating  their  breasts  and  lamenting  her  fate, 
obedient  Zephyr  carried  them  down  to  the  valley 
and  set  them  before  the  palace.  After  they  had 
embraced  and  rejoiced  together,  and  Psyche  had 
showed  them  the  beauties  of  the  palace  and  had 
regaled  them  with  the  delicacies  prepared  by  the 
invisible  attendants,  envy  crept  into  the  hearts 
of  the  sisters,  and  insatiable  curiosity  to  know 


Fig.  35.     Cupid  and  Psyche. 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     129 

the  happy  master  of  all  these  riches.  Psyche 
told  them  that  her  husband  was  a  beautiful  youth, 
who  passed  his  days  hunting  on  the  mountains. 
Then  she  loaded  them  with  gifts  and  bade  Zephyr 
carry  them  back  to  the  mountain. 

The  more  the  sisters  talked  over  their  visit 
to  the  palace  the  more  angry  and  envious  they 
became.  They  complained  that  they  were  given 
over  to  old,  bald-headed,  stingy  kings  in  foreign 
lands,  while  the  youngest  was  married  to  a  beau- 
tiful god  and  had  control  of  untold  wealth.  Even 
the  winds  were  her  servants !  They  persuaded 
themselves  that  she  had  acted  arrogantly  toward 
them,  and  they  resolved  to  bring  about  her  down- 
fall. On  their  third  visit,  therefore,  assuming 
a  tone  of  sisterly  solicitude,  they  told  her  that 
her  husband  was  well  known  to  be  a  venomous 
serpent,  who  was  often  seen  gliding  down  the 
mountain  at  daybreak.  He  was  keeping  her  only 
until  she  was  well  fatted ;  then  he  would  devour 
her.  Let  her  conceal  in  the  bed  a  lamp  and  a 
sharp  knife,  and  when  her  husband  was  buried 
in  sleep,  let  her  kill  him  and  so  make  her  escape. 
The  simple  girl,  though  at  first  she  indignantly 
rejected  the  suggestion,  was  at  last  persuaded. 
Night  came,  and  with  the  darkness  came  her  hus- 
band. As  soon  as  he  was  asleep.  Psyche,  sum- 
moning all  her  courage,  uncovered  the  lamp  and 
seized  the  knife.  But  when  by  its  light  she  saw 
no  awful  monster,  but  the  gentlest  and  loveliest 


130    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

of  all  creatures,  Cupid  himself,  the  beautiful  God 
of  Love,  overcome  with  delight  and  shame  she 
fell  upon  her  knees.  So  enchanted  was  she  with 
the  beautiful  sight,  the  golden  curls,  the  ruddy 
cheeks,  the  delicate  wings  that  sprang  from  his 
shoulders,  that  she  remained  wrapped  in  admira- 
tion and  forgot  to  extinguish  the  light.  At  the 
foot  of  the  bed  lay  his  bow  and  arrows.  Curious 
to  try  how  sharp  they  were,  Psyche  pressed  the 
arrow  point  against  her  finger.  Tiny  drops  of 
blood  welled  out,  and  thus  did  Psyche  fall  in  love 
with  Love.  But  while  she  pressed  kisses  on  his 
face  and  hung  over  him,  bewildered  with  delight, 
a  drop  of  burning  oil  fell  upon  his  shoulder. 
The  god  sprang  up  and,  seeing  the  signs  of  his 
wife's  faithlessness,  tore  himself  from  her 
frenzied  embraces  and  flew  away.  Pausing  for 
one  instant  in  his  flight,  he  turned  and  addressed 
her :  "  O  simple  Psyche,  for  you  I  was  dis- 
obedient to  my  mother  Venus,  and  when  she  bade 
me  give  you  over  to  some  base  marriage,  I  chose 
instead  to  come  to  you  myself  as  a  lover.  I,  the 
most  famous  of  archers,  have  wounded  myself 
with  my  own  arrow  and  have  made  you  my  wife. 
And  you  would  believe  me  to  be  a  monster  and 
would  cut  off  my  head !  It  was  of  this  that  I  so 
often  warned  you.  As  for  those  wicked  plot- 
ters, they  shall  feel  my  anger;  you  will  I  punish 
by  my  flight  alone."  So  saying  he  spread  his 
wings  and  flew  away. 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     131 

When  Psyche  had  recovered  her  senses,  she 
set  forth  in  search  of  Cupid.  Towards  evening 
she  found  herself  close  to  the  city  where  her  eld- 
est sister  lived.  To  her  she  recounted  what  had 
happened,  only  that  she  changed  Cupid's  parting 
words.  "  Quit  my  house  this  instant,"  she 
quoted  him  as  saying,  "  I  will  at  once  marry  your 
sister."  The  wicked  queen,  goaded  by  love  of 
gold  and  glory,  left  her  home  and  her  husband 
and  hurried  to  the  mountain.  Then  calling  on 
Zephyr  to  waft  her  to  the  valley,  she  leaped  from 
the  rock  and  was  dashed  in  pieces  on  the  stones 
below.  In  the  same  way  Psyche  visited  the  sec- 
ond sister,  and  in  the  same  manner  she,  too,  suf- 
fered the  penalty  of  her  treachery. 

In  the  meantime  the  sea-gull  had  brought  word 
to  Venus,  who  was  bathing  in  the  sea,  that  her 
son  was  lying  at  home  grievously  sick  and  likely 
to  die.  He  added  malicious  gossip  —  that  Cupid 
had  been  guilty  of  a  disgraceful  love  affair  with 
a  mortal  girl,  and  that,  in  consequence  of  his 
neglect,  love  had  left  the  world.  Hot  with  anger 
the  goddess  hastened  to  her  golden  chamber,  and 
finding  him  as  she  had  been  told,  cried  to  him 
in  a  passion  of  rage :  "  This  is  fine  behavior 
and  becoming  your  birth  and  character!  You 
trample  upon  the  commands  of  your  mother  and 
take  to  wife  that  base  girl  whom  I  had  sent  you 
to  torment  with  an  ignoble  love!  But  you  were 
always  troublesome  and  disrespectful,  even  to  me; 


and  your  father  Mars  you  fear  not  at  all,  but 
are  ever  driving  him  into  love  affairs.  You  shall 
repent  of  it!  I  shall  adopt  one  of  the  sons  of 
my  slaves  and  give  to  him  the  bow  and  arrows 
that  you  so  little  know  how  to  use.  I  must  have 
recourse  to  my  old  foe  Sobriety;  she  will  soon 
blunt  your  arrows  and  extinguish  your  torch !  " 
So  she  turned  her  back  upon  her  wounded  son 
and  left  the  house. 

Meanwhile  Psyche,  still  distractedly  wander- 
ing in  search  of  Cupid,  came  by  chance  to  a  tem- 
ple of  Ceres.  Here  was  a  confused  heap  of  corn 
and  grain,  and  near  it  scythes  and  other  tools 
lying  in  disorder.  Piously  anxious  to  win  the 
favor  of  any  goddess  that  might  help  her,  Psyche 
set  to  work  to  bring  order  out  of  the  confusion. 
The  goddess  came  to  the  temple  while  she  was 
thus  engaged.  Throwing  herself  at  her  feet  the 
girl  besought  her :  "  By  thy  plenty-giving  hand, 
by  the  joyful  rites  of  harvest,  by  thy  secret  mys- 
teries, by  thy  dragon-drawn  car,  by  the  Sicilian 
fields  and  that  thieving  chariot  and  the  descent 
of  Proserpina  (see  p.  154)  to  a  lightless  wed- 
lock, and  the  return  of  thy  child  to  the  world 
above,  pity  your  suppliant,  luckless  Psyche! 
Amid  this  heap  of  grain  let  me  hide  for  a  few 
days,  until  the  wrath  of  Venus  is  abated ! " 
Ceres  was  moved  but  feared  to  offend  Venus. 
Regretfully  she  drove  Psyche  from  her  temple. 
As  she  left  the  shrine  of  Ceres,  Psyche  saw  in 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     133 

the  valley  beneath  a  shrine  of  Juno.  Thither 
she  turned  her  weary  steps,  and  falling  down 
before  the  altar,  prayed  the  goddess  to  help  her 
in  her  desperate  need.  Juno  listened  kindly  but 
answered  that  she  could  give  no  protection  to  a 
fugitive  slave  of  her  daughter-in-law  Venus. 
Then  Psyche,  convinced  that  no  hope  of  help  lay 
in  any  other,  resolved  to  surrender  herself  to  her 
mistress  Venus  and  humbly  to  propitiate  her. 

Now  Venus,  repairing  to  heaven  in  her  golden 
dove-drawn  chariot,  had  asked  and  secured  the 
help  of  the  herald  Mercury.  He  had  cried  the 
lost  maiden  through  all  the  world:  "  If  any  one 
can  seize  in  her  flight  or  can  discover  the  fugitive 
slave  of  Venus,  a  king's  daughter,  Psyche  by 
name,  let  him  repair  to  Mercury,  the  herald,  at 
the  temple  of  Venus ;  he  shall  receive  as  a  reward 
from  Venus  herself  seven  sweet  kisses."  This 
proclamation  further  persuaded  Psyche  that  the 
only  course  now  open  to  her  was  one  of  sub- 
mission. She  therefore  hastened  to  the  house 
of  Venus,  who,  when  she  saw  her,  raised  a  joyful 
laugh.  "  At  last,"  said  she,  "  have  you  deigned 
to  pay  your  respects  to  your  mother-in-law  ?  Or 
perhaps  you  came  to  visit  your  husband,  who  lies 
still  in  danger  from  the  wound  you  gave  him? 
But  take  courage!  I  shall  receive  you  as  a  good 
mother-in-law  should.  Where  are  my  servants, 
Solicitude  and  Sorrow  ? "  These,  immediately 
appearing,  scourged  and  otherwise  tortured  the 


134    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

unhappy  Psyche,  and  then  brought  her  again  be- 
fore her  mistress. 

Venus  next  set  the  girl  before  a  great  heap 
of  wheat,  barley,  millet,  poppy,  beans,  and  every 
other  kind  of  grain  and  seed,  and  said  scornfully 
to  her :  "  You  seem  to  me  so  deformed  a  slave 
that  only  by  industry  can  you  deserve  your  hus- 
band. I  shall  make  trial  of  you.  Separate  the 
various  grains  in  this  heap,  and  see  that  the  work 
is  finished  before  evening!"  So  she  left  her. 
Despairing  at  the  impossible  task,  Psyche  sat  still 
without  moving  a  finger  to  the  confused  mass. 
But  a  little  ant  took  pity  on  the  wife  of  Cupid 
and  called  together  the  populous  tribe  from  a 
neighboring  ant-hill.  In  a  very  short  time  the 
grains  and  seeds  were  piled  neatly  into  separate 
heaps.  Then  the  little  ants  disappeared.  Venus, 
returning  from  a  feast,  fragrant  with  perfumes 
and  wreathed  with  roses,  saw  with  anger  the  suc- 
cess of  her  hated  slave.  "  Worthless  girl,"  said 
she,  "  this  is  not  the  work  of  your  hands  but  that 
of  your  wretched  lover!  "  And  throwing  her  a 
crust  of  dry  bread  she  retired  to  rest. 

At  dawn  Venus  called  Psyche,  and  pointing 
out  to  her  a  wood  by  the  river,  ordered  her  to 
get  a  lock  of  golden  wool  from  the  sheep  that 
fed  there.  Psyche  gladly  set  out,  not  hoping  to 
secure  the  lock  of  wool,  but  intending  to  throw 
herself  into  the  river.  But  a  reed  of  the  river 
spoke  to  her :  "  O  sorrowful  Psyche,  pollute  not 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     135 

my  waters,  nor  dare  to  approach  the  sheep  on 
the  farther  bank !  For  while  the  sun  is  hot,  they 
are  fierce  and  destroy  any  who  come  near  them, 
but  when  at  noon  they  go  to  rest  under  the  trees, 
then  with  safety  you  may  cross  the  river,  and 
you  shall  find  the  golden  wool  caught  on  the 
bushes.  So  shall  you  accomplish  the  task 
safely." 

Venus  greeted  her  successful  return  with  a  bit- 
ter smile :  "  I  know  well,"  said  she,  "  that  you 
did  not  perform  this  task  by  yourself.  Now  I 
will  make  trial  of  your  courage  and  prudence. 
Bring  me  from  the  fountain  on  yonder  lofty 
mountain  liquid  dew  in  this  crystal  urn."  Psyche 
hopefully  received  the  urn  and  hurried  to  the 
mountain.  But  when  she  reached  the  top,  she 
saw  the  impossibility  of  the  undertaking.  For 
the  fountain  rose  from  the  top  of  an  inaccessible 
rock  and  plunged  down  thence  into  a  terrible 
chasm  where  fierce  dragons  kept  perpetual  watch. 
And  the  roaring  waters  called  to  her  as  they 
crashed  down :  "  Depart,  or  you  will  perish !  " 
As  she  shrank  back  in  dismay,  the  eagle  of  Jupi- 
ter came  to  her :  "  Can  you,  a  simple  mortal, 
hope  to  steal  one  drop  of  the  Stygian  waters, 
terrible  to  Jove  himself  ?  'Give  me  the  little  urn !  " 
Psyche,  therefore,  receiving  the  full  urn,  joyfully 
returned  to  Venus. 

The  goddess  was  only  the  more  enraged,  and 
laid  on  her  another  task.  "  Take  this  box,"  said 


136     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

she,  "  and  direct  your  steps  to  the  abode  of 
Pluto.  There  say  to  Proserpina  that  Venus  begs 
her  to  give  her  a  little  of  her  beauty  in  this  box, 
for  she  has  exhausted  all  her  own  in  anxious 
attendance  on  her  sick  son.  Return  at  once,  for 
I  must  dress  for  the  theater  of  the  gods."  And 
now  truly  Psyche  saw  that  she  was  face  to  face 
with  destruction.  She  therefore  ascended  to  the 
top  of  a  high  tower,  meaning  to  cast  herself  down 
and  so  reach  the  infernal  world  by  the  shortest 
way.  But  the  tower  spoke  to  her :  "  O  wretched 
girl,  why  do  you  seek  to  destroy  yourself  before 
the  last  test  of  your  endurance?  Listen  to  me! 
Near  Lacedsemon  in  Achsea  is  the  cavity  through 
which  Pluto  breathes.  Here  is  the  entrance  to 
the  lower  world.  Go  from  thence  by  a  straight 
road  to  the  palace  of  Pluto.  Take  with  you  two 
pieces  of  bread  soaked  in  honey,  and  in  your 
mouth  two  pieces  of  money  to  pay  Charon  (see 
p.  1 88)  for  ferrying  you  across  the  river.  The 
bread  will  appease  the  fierce  three-headed  dog, 
Cerberus.  But  be  careful  not  to  stop  to  listen  to 
the  appeals  for  help  from  those  you  meet,  for 
Venus  will  send  many  wretched  beings  to  induce 
you  to  stop  or  lay  aside  the  sop  or  the  coin  that 
you  need  for  your  return  journey.  Proserpina 
will  receive  you  kindly  and  will  offer  you  a  soft 
bed  and  a  dainty  banquet.  Decline  them  both ! 
When  you  have  received  what  you  came  for, 
return  at  once  to  the  upper  world.  On  no  ac- 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     137 

count  open  or  even  look  at  the  box  that  you 
carry !  " 

Psyche  started  on  her  enterprise,  and  all  fell 
out  as  the  tower  had  said.  She  obeyed  his  in- 
structions resolutely  until  the  danger  were  passed 
and  she  was  just  about  to  emerge  into  the  light 
of  day.  Then  she  was  seized  with  a  rash  curi- 
osity and  a  longing  to  take  for  herself  a  little 
of  the  divine  beauty  she  carried  so  that  she  might 
appear  better  in  the  eyes  of  her  lover  when  she 
should  see  him  again.  But  when  she  opened  the 
box,  there  came  forth  no  beauty  but  only  a 
Stygian  sleep  that  instantly  overpowered  her,  so 
that  she  fell  down  where  she  stood  and  lay  mo- 
tionless. 

Cupid,  being  now  quite  recovered  of  his 
wound,  had  flown  through  the  window  of  his 
room  and  come  to  find  Psyche.  When,  there- 
fore, he  saw  her  lying  there  motionless,  he  took 
the  sleep  and  shut  it  up  again  in  its  little  box, 
and  arousing  Psyche  by  the  touch  of  one  of  his 
arrows,  said:  "Unfortunate  girl,  a  second  time 
you  would  have  perished  by  that  fatal  curiosity! 
But  now  fulfil  your  task  to  Venus;  I  will  take 
care  of  the  rest."  So  saying  he  flew  away  and 
Psyche  carried  the  box  to  Venus. 

Meanwhile  Cupid  flew  straight  to  heaven,  and 
presenting  himself  before  his  grandfather  Jupi- 
ter, asked  his  aid.  The  father  of  gods,  smilingly 
stroking  the  cheeks  of  Cupid,  answered  kindly: 


'  Though  you,  my  child,  presuming  on  your 
power,  never  pay  me  the  reverence  that  is  my 
due,  and  by  your  arrows  cause  me  to  act  un- 
worthily of  my  dignity  and  so  injure  my  reputa- 
tion, yet  I  will  do  all  that  you  ask."  He  there- 
fore sent  Mercury  to  call  the  gods  to  a  council 
meeting,  and  addressing  them,  he  told  them  that 
he  thought  it  best  that  Cupid  should  marry. 
Venus  he  bade  submit,  promising  to  make  the 
marriage  legal  by  raising  Psyche  to  the  order  of 
the  gods.  Mercury  brought  the  bride  before 
him,  and  she  received  from  Jupiter  the  nectar 
and  ambrosia.  "  Take  this,"  said  he,  "  and  be 
immortal ;  nor  shall  Cupid  ever  depart  from  your 
embraces,  but  this  marriage  shall  be  eternal." 
Then  the  wedding  banquet  was  served.  Cupid 
reclined  beside  Psyche,  Jupiter  by  Juno,  and  so 
all  the  other  gods  and  goddesses  in  order. 
Ganymede  poured  the  nectar  for  Jupiter,  and 
Bacchus  for  the  other  gods,  Vulcan  prepared  the 
supper,  the  Hours  scattered  roses  all  about,  the 
Graces  scattered  balsam,  and  the  Muses  sang 
melodiously,  while  Apollo  accompanied  them  on 
his  lyre  and  Venus  danced  to  their  music. 

Psyche  is  the  soul.  By  her  own  act  she  de- 
stroys her  happy  and  inno:ent  life  with  Love, 
endures  in  the  world  every  trial  and  suffering, 
and  even  goes  down  to  Haaes,  to  be  in  the  end 
reunited  with  Love  and  to  'jive  with  him  forever 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     139 

in  heaven.  The  story  as  it  is  told  here  belongs 
to  a  late  time.  It  is  a  philosophical  fairy  tale. 

II.    OTHER  DEITIES   OF   OLYMPUS 

The  Graces  (or  Chart  tes)  presided  over  the  The  Graces, 
feast  and  the  dance,  all  the  gracious  and  festive 
side  of  social  intercourse.  For  the  Greek  ideal 
demanded  that  men's  everyday  life,  no  less  than 
their  worship,  should  be  ruled  by  grace  and 
beauty,  and  the  deities  who  brought  this  harmony 
to  life  were  fittingly  conceived  as  the  daughters 
of  no  less  a  one  than  Zeus.  They  were  three  in 
number  and  were  represented  nude  or  in  trans- 
parent drapery,  adorned  with  spring  flowers  and 
roses.  , 

The  Nine  Muses,  daughters  of  Zeus  and  Mne-   The  Nine 

Muses. 

mosyne  (nemos'ine,  Memory),  presided,  each 
over  a  distinct  form  of  poetry,  art,  or  science. 
They  formed  the  chorus  of  Apollo,  the  god  of 
music,  and  with  him  haunted  the  heights  of  Par- 
nassus or  Helicon,  or  danced  about  the  springs  of 
Pieria.  Their  names,  their  functions,  and  their 
emblems  are  as  follows:  Clio,  the  muse  of  his- 
tory, holds  a  roll  of  writing ;  Cal  li'ope,  the  muse 
of  epic  poetry,  holds  a  tablet  and  pen ;  Mel  pom'- 
e  ne,  the  muse  of  tragedy,  holds  a  tragic  mask; 
Tha  li'a,  the  muse  of  comedy,  holds  a  comic  mask 
or  wears  the  distinctive  costume  of  the  actor  of 
comedy ;  Terp  sich'o  re,  the  muse  of  the  choral 
lyric  and  the  dance,  wears  a  long  garment  and 


140    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

holds  a  lyre;  Er'ato,  the  muse  of  love  poetry, 
wears  a  thin  garment  and  holds  a  lyre ;  Eu  ter'pe, 
the  muse  of  flute  music,  holds  a  double  flute; 
U  ra'ni  a,  the  muse  of  astronomy,  holds  a  globe; 
Po  lym'ni  a,  the  muse  of  religious  poetry  or  the 
pantomime,  is  represented  in  an  attitude  of  medi- 


Fig.  36.    Clio. 

tation.  To  the  Muses  poets  offered  prayers  and 
vows :  "  Fortunate  is  he  whomsoever  the  Muses 
love,  and  sweet  flows  his  voice  from  his  lips." 
(Homeric  Hymn  to  the  Muses.) 

The  Three       The  Three  Fates  held  in  their  hands  the  thread 
of  life,  and  when  man's  allotted  life  was  spun, 


The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus     141 

the  shears  of  the  fates  cut  it  off.  Their  names 
are  given  in  the  little  verse  from  Lowell's  Villa 
Franca:  "Spin,  spin,  Clotho,  spin!  Lach'e  sis, 
twist !  and  At'ro  pus,  sever !  "  They  tell  of  the 
past,  present,  and  future. 


Fig.  37.    Thalia. 

Nem'e  sis,  a  darkly  mysterious  power  that 
overshadowed  even  the  gods  themselves,  for  evil 
done  or  for  excess  of  pride  brought  divine 
vengeance  from  which  there  was  no  hope  of  es- 
cape. 


142     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  winds  were  under  the  control  of  JE'o  lus, 
to  whom  Zeus  gave  the  power  to  rouse  or  to 
quiet  them.  In  a  vast  cave  in  one  of  the  volcanic 
Lipari  Islands,  he  and  his  twelve  boisterous  chil- 
dren, the  winds,  lived  a  life  of  feasting  and  merri- 


Fig.  38.    Terpsichore. 

ment.  There  they  struggle  against  their  prison 
doors  and  cause  mighty  rumbling  of  the  moun- 
tain. If  let  loose,  Vergil  says,  they  would  sweep 
away  earth  and  sea  and  sky  in  their  destruc- 
tive course.  Bo're  as  is  the  wild  north  wind ; 
Zeph'y  rus  is  the  gentle  west  wind. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  GODS  OF  THE  SEA 
Po  SEI'DON  was  the  son  of  Cronus  and  Rhea  x 

(Neptune). 

and  brother  of  Zeus.  To  him,  after  the  over- 
throw of  the  Titans,  was  given  control  over  all 
the  waters,  fresh  as  well  as  salt.  He  supplanted 
Oceanus  of  the  older  dynasty.  The  early  Greeks 
thought  that  the  waters  were  beneath  the  earth 
and  held  it  up;  earthquakes  were  due  to  them. 
Moreover  the  Ocean  flowed  all  about  the  circle 
of  the  earth  as  a  great  salt  river.  Homer  speaks 
of  Poseidon  as,  "  he  that  girdleth  the  world,  the 
shaker  of  the  earth."  Though  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Olympic  Council,  he  had  his  palace  in  the 
depths  of  Ocean. 

There  was  his  famous  palace  in  the  deeps  of  the 
mere,  his  glistering  golden  mansions  builded,  imperish- 
able forever.  Thither  went  he  and  let  harness  to  his 
car  his  bronze-hoofed  horses,  swift  of  flight,  clothed 
with  their  golden  manes.  He  girt  his  own  golden 
array  about  his  body  and  seized  the  well-wrought  lash 
of  gold,  and  mounted  his  chariot,  and  forth  he  drove 
across  the  waves.  And  the  sea-beasts  frolicked  be- 
neath him,  on  all  sides  out  of  the  deeps,  for  well  they 
knew  their  lord,  and  with  gladness  the  sea  stood 
asunder.  (Iliad,  XIII.  21  ff.) 

143 


144    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Beside  him  was  seated  his  wife,  "  fair-ankled 
Am  phi  tri'te,"  the  daughter  of  Nereus  (see  p. 
148,  while  before  and  about  his  chariot  swam 
the  Tritons,  half  man,  half  fish,  heralding  their 
lord's  approach  by  blasts  on  their  shells. 

In  addition  to  his  lordship  over  the  waters 
Poseidon  presided  over  horses  and  horsemanship. 
One  version  of  his  contest  with  Athena  over  Ath- 
ens, as  was  said  earlier,  attributes  to  him  the 
creation  of  a  salt  spring,  but  the  other  version 
attributes  to  him  the  creation  of  the  horse. 
The  waiis  After  the  overthrow  of  the  giants,  Apollo  and 
Poseidon  fell  under  the  displeasure  of  Zeus,  who 
therefore  forced  them  to  serve  a  mortal.  They 
agreed  with  La  om'e  don,  king  of  Troy,  for  a 
certain  reward  to  build  the  walls  of  his  city. 
When  the  work  was  completed,  Laomedon  re- 
fused to  abide  by  his  bargain  and  insolently  dis- 
missed the  gods.  Poseidon  in  his  anger  sent 
floods  and  a  terrible  sea-monster  to  ravage  the 
coast.  To  appease  the  monster  no  sacrifice  was 
acceptable  but  that  of  He  si'o  ne,  daughter  of 
Laomedon.  The  princess  was  about  to  be  de- 
voured by  the  monster  when  Heracles,  that 
friend  of  troubled  mankind,  appeared  and  res- 
cued her.  How  he  too  was  cheated  of  his  re- 
ward by  the  faithless  Laomedon,  and  how  he 
avenged  his  wrongs,  will  be  told  later  in  the  story 
of  Heracles.  (See  p.  220.) 


Fig.  39.     Poseidon. 


The  Gods  of  the  Sea          147 

It  is  as  sod  of  horses  and  horsemanship  that  Peiops  and 

Hippodami?. 

Poseidon  appears  in  the  story  of  Peiops  and  Hip- 
po da  mi'a.  This  Hippodamia  was  the  daughter 
of  (En  o  ma'us,  king  of  Elis.  Many  young  men 
wished  to  marry  her,  but  her  father  had  been 
warned  by  an  oracle  to  beware  of  his  future 
son-in-law.  As  he  was  the  owner  of  horses  as 
fleet  as  the  wind,  he  made  the  condition  that 
he  who  would  win  the  daughter  must  first 
contend  with  the  father  in  a  chariot-race,  the 
reward  of  success  .being  the  hand  of  Hippo- 
damia and  the  price  of  failure  the  suitor's 
life.  Many  had  staked  their  lives  on  the  ven- 
ture, and  the  maiden  remained  unmarried. 
Peiops  hajd_been^_granted  by  Poseidon  extraordi- 
nary skill  in  horsemanship;  now  he  obtained  in 
addition  four  winged  steeds,  and  so  offered  him- 
self for  the  perilous  race.  Nor  was  Poseidon 
Peiops'  only  divine  helper,  for,  by  the  power  of 
Aphrodite,  Hippodamia's  heart  was  so  won  at  first 
sight  that  she  bribed  her  father's  charioteer  Myr- 
tilus  to  take  out  the  bolt  from  his  chariot-wheel  be- 
fore starting  on  the  race.  So  (Enomaus  perished 
and  Peiops  led  away  Hippodamia  as  his  wife. 
The  lovers,  however,  by  their  ingratitude  and 
treachery  brought  down  upon  their  already  ac- 
cursed family  the  further  displeasure  of  the  gods, 
for  Peiops,  in  a  fit  of  rage,  hurled  Myrtilus  into 
the  sea.  The  tragic  history  of  the  race  of  Peiops 


148    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

is  associated  with  the  Trojan  War  and  will  be 
told  in  that  connection.  (See  p.  281.) 

Neptune.  The  Romans  had  from  early  times  worshiped 
Neptune  as  god  of  moisture  and  of  flowing  water, 
when  they  identified  him  with  the  Greek  Posei- 
don, they  recognized  him- also  as  god  of  the  sea. 

Kerens.  Ne'reus,  the  wise  and  kindly  "  Old  Man  of  the 
Sea,"  lived  with  his  fifty  charming  daughters 
below  the  waters  in  a  great  shining  cave.  He 
personifies  the  sea  as  a  source  of  gain  to  men, 
the  sea  on  whose  calm  and  friendly  surface  mer- 
chants and  sailors  venture  out  in  ships.  His  fifty 
daughters,  the  Ne'reids,  represent  the  sea  in  all 
its  many  phases.  They  live  together  happily  in 
their  deep-sea  cave,  but  often  rise  to  the  surface, 


Fig.  40.     Marriage  of  Poseidon  and  Amphitrite. 

and  in  sunlight  or  in  moonlight  may  be  seen  sitting 
on  the  shore  or  on  a  rock  covered  with  seaweed, 
drying  their  long  green  locks,  or  riding  on  the 
dolphins,  or  playing  in  the  waves  with  the  Tri- 
tons. If  a  mortal  comes  near,  they  will  slide 
down  into  the  sea  and  disappear,  for  their  bodies 
end  in  green  fishes'  tails  and  the  deep  water  is 
their  real  home.  Three  of  the  fifty  are  especially 
famous:  Amphitrite,  Poseidon's  wife;  Thetis 


The  Gods  of  the  Sea         149 

(see  p.  283),  the  mother  of  Achilles,  and 
Gal  a  te'a,  whom  the  Cyclops  Pol  y  phe'mus 
loved. 

A  stranger  and  more  mysterious  "  Old  Man  of  Proteu». 
the  Sea  "  was  Pro'teus,  the  shepherd  of  Posei- 


Fig.  41.    Head  of  a  Sea-God. 

don's  flock  of  seals.  He  had  the  gift  of  proph- 
ecy, and  would  tell  the  future  if  one  could  catch 
and  hold  him.  But,  like  the  sea  itself,  he  con- 
tinually changed  his  form,  and  when  one  had 
seized  him  as  a  roaring  lion,  he  glided  away  as 
a  serpent,  or  if  one  still  held  to  that  slippery 


150    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

form,  suddenly  he  was  a  flame  of  fire,  or  as  run- 
ning water  he  slipped  through  the  hands. 

The  sirens.  Although  from  the  earliest  times  the  Greeks 
were  a  sea-faring  people,  they  never  forgot  the 
perils  that  lurked  in  the  deep,  nor  the  uncertainty 
of  trusting  themselves  to  its  waters.  Especially 
in  the  west,  near  Sicily  and  Italy,  fable  told  of 
the  dangers  that  lay  in  wait  for  the  rash  voy- 
ager. Somewhere  in  that  part  of  the  sea  was 
the  island  of  the  Sirens,  beautiful  maidens  in  face 
and  breast  but  winged  and  clawed  as  birds.  By 
the  charm  of  their  singing  they  lured  mariners 
to  drive  their  ships  upon  the  rocks.  He  who 
heard  their  magic  voices  no  longer  remembered 
his  dear  native  land,  nor  his  wife  and  children, 
but  only  heard  the  charmer  and  cast  himself  into 
the  sea.  All  the  beach  below  where  they  sat  and 
sang  was  white  with  the  bones  of  men.  Fair 
they  seemed  as  the  smooth  bright  surface  of  the 
sea  that  treacherously  smiles  over  the  bones  of 
its  victims.  The  much-enduring  Odysseus  was 
warned  of  these  alluring  maidens  and  passed  by 
them  safely  only  by  having  the  ears  of  his  com- 
panions stuffed  with  wax,  while  he  himself  was 
kept  from  the  fatal  leap  by  being  fast  bound  to 
his  own  mast. 

me  Harpies.  Wholly  terrible,  without  the  malign  charm  of 
the  Sirens,  were  the  Harpies,  with  their  huge 
wings  and  strong  talons.  They  were  goddesses 
of  storm  and  death,  who  snatched  and  carried 


The  Gods  of  the  Sea          151 

away  their  booty  as  if  on  the  wings  of  the  wind. 
When  weary  sailors  had  ignorantly  landed  on  the 
Harpies'  shores,  and,  having  prepared  their  feast, 
sat  down  to  enjoy  it,  down  swooped  these  vile 
birds  and  carried  off  the  food  in  their  claws. 
Their  coming  brought  not  alone  famine  but  the 
mournful  omen  of  approaching  death. 

The  passage  between  the  coasts  of  Sicily  and   scyiia  and 

T      i  i  -11  -1-1       Charybdis. 

Italy  was  beset  with  danger.  Here  in  the  side 
of  a  precipitous  cliff  was  a  cave  where  lurked 
the  monster  Scylla.  From  out  the  dark  cavern 
she  stretched  her  six  heads,  armed  with  rows  of 
great  sharp  teeth.  Woe  to  the  unlucky  mariners 
who  had  steered  too  close  to  shore!  Drawn  in 
as  by  a  drag-net  by  her  twelve  long  arms,  they 
were  crunched  in  the  great  jaws,  and  only  the 
bones  were  left  to  tell  the  tale.  And  if  men  es- 
caped this  horror,  on  the  other  side  lay  Char- 
yb'dis,  sucking  down  the  water  into  her  black 
whirlpool  and  belching  it  forth  again,  three  times 
each  day.  Against  these  monsters  even  Posei- 
don's help  was  of  no  avail. 

Fresh  water  as  well  as  salt  had  each  its  own  River-gods 

and  nymphs 

deity.  From  the  river  at  any  moment  its  god 
might  rise  up,  the  water  streaming  from  his  hair 
and  beard.  So  Alpheus  rose  to  pursue  Are- 
thusa  (see  p.  84)  ;  so  the  god  of  the  Xanthus 
near  Troy  rose  and  fought  with  Achilles.  (See 
p.  296. )  Sometimes  the  river-god  took  the  form 
of  a  bull.  (See  p.  225.)  Each  little  brook  and 


152    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

spring  had  its  own  nymph,  a  lovely  maiden  with 
tossing  hair,  with  laughing  voice  and  lightly 
dancing  feet.  These  are  the  Naiads.  (See  p. 
184.) 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  GODS  OF  THE  EARTH 

THE  skies  that  rule  over  all,  and  the  great  seas, 
are  male  beings;  Zeus  and  Poseidon  rule  there. 
The  earth,  that  gives  life  to  plants  and  animals 
and  men,  that  cares  for  and  generously  nourishes 
her  children,  is  the  great  mother  goddess,  Gsea. 


Fig.  42.     Cybele  in  her  Car. 

Rhea,  the  mother  of  the  gods,  was  also  an   Rhea  or  cy- 

bele  the  Great 

earth-goddess.     The  people  of  Asia  Minor  knew  Mother, 
her  as  Cy'bele  or  the  Great  Mother,  and  repre- 
sented her  crowned  with  a  turreted  crown  like 
the  wall  of  a  city;  for  she  was  the  bringer  of 


154    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

civilization,  the  protectress  of  cities.  Lions  drew 
her  chariot,  and  about  her  were  the  Cor  y- 
ban'tes,  who  acclaimed  her  with  shouts  and  the 
clashing  of  cymbals,  and  led  her  worship  with 
wild  dances.  This  worship  never  took  firm  root 
in  Greece,  but  it  was  introduced  into  Rome  and 
was  there  one  of  the  most  influential  of  the  for- 
eign religious  cults. 
Demeter  More  characteristic  of  the  Greek  people  was 

(Ceres). 

the  worship  of  De  me'ter,  the  bountiful  goddess 
of  the  grain.  She  was  the  sister  of  Zeus  and 
had  her  place  in  the  Olympic  Council.  We  see 
her,  of  generous  and  kindly  aspect,  draped  from 
head  to  foot,  holding  a  torch,  or  ears  of  wheat 
and  corn  mingled  with  poppies.  Per  seph'o  ne 
(or  Proser'pi  na),  the  fresh  young  corn  of  the 
new  year,  was  her  only  daughter,  looking  to 
Zeus,  the  giver  of  rain  and  sun,  as  her  father. 
The  worship  of  these  two  is  a  beautiful,  natural 
harvesters'  worship,  but  trouble  and  loss  enter 
in. 
The  Rap?  of  When  Persephone  was  still  a  young  girl  she 

Persephone  .       .  .  ,       ,  i  j  • 

(Proserpina),  was  playing  with  the  ocean  nymphs  one  day,  in 
the  sunny  land  of  Sicily.  She  had  wandered  a 
little  way  from  her  friends  and  stooped  to  pick  a 
narcissus.  As  she  uprooted  the  fragrant  flower, 
out  of  the  earth  sprang  the  black  horses  and 
golden  chariot  of  Hades,  or  Pluto,  the  king  of  the 
lower  world.  In  spite  of  her  cries  for  help,  the 
black  god  carried  the  maiden  off  with  Mm;  as 


Fig.  43.     Demeter. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        157 

she  passed,  the  flowers  fell  from  her  hands.  Then 
the  earth  opened  at  the  word  of  the  god,  and 
Pluto  descended  with  his  prize  into  the  gloomy 
regions  over  which  he  ruled.  Here  he  made  her 
his  queen. 

Demeter,  who  had  gone  to  Asia  Minor  to  visit 
Cybele,  heard  of  her  loss,  but  did  not  know  who 
the  robber  was  nor  where  she  should  begin  her 
search  for  her  daughter.  Disconsolately  she 
wandered  over  all  the  earth,  her  serene  and  kindly 
face  befouled  by  tears,  her  clothes  torn  and  soiled, 
her  corn  and  flowers  abandoned.  Without  her 
ministry  the  fields  yielded  no  crops,  men  and 
beasts  starved,  and  though  they  called  on  her,  she 
would  not  hear  nor  answer.  At  last,  in  her  wan- 
derings she  came  to  the  fountain  of  Cy'a  ne,  in 
Sicily.  Now  the  nymph  Cyane  had  seen  Pluto 
with  the  stolen  girl  and  had  vainly  tried  to  bar 
his  passage.  In  grief  at  her  failure  she  had  wept 
herself  into  a  fountain  and  so  had  lost  the  power 
of  speech.  All  that  she  could  do  was  to  wash 
up  at  the  mother's  feet  the  girdle  that  the  girl 
had  dropped  in  her  passage.  Then  Demeter,  in 
her  anger  and  despair,  cursed  the  ground,  and 
above  all  the  lovely  land  of  Sicily  that  had  be- 
trayed its  trust.  Not  far  from  Cyane  is  an- 
other fountain,  once  a  nymph,  Arethusa,  who, 
as  was  told  above  (see  p.  84),  in  her  flight  from 
the  river  Alpheus  rushed  down  into  the  earth  in 
Greece  and  rose  again  in  Sicily.  On  her  way 


158    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

through  the  lower  world  she  had  seen  Persephone 
sharing  Pluto's  throne.  From  her,  Demeter 
learned  at  last  the  truth  and  at  once  went  to  Zeus 
to  demand  redress.  Induced,  not  alone  by  De- 
meter's  tears  and  prayers,  but  by  the  agonized 
cries  of  all  the  suffering  earth,  Zeus  decreed  that 
Pluto  should  give  up  his  stolen  bride  —  on  one 
condition,  that  no  food  had  passed  her  lips  during 
her  stay  beneath  the  earth.  By  ill  fortune  she 
had  been  persuaded  by  Pluto  to  taste  the  seeds 
of  a  pomegranate.  A  compromise  was  made: 
Persephone  should  return  to  her  mother,  but  each 
year  she  should  descend  again  into  the  lower 
world  to  stay  as  many  months  as  she  had  eaten 
seeds  of  the  pomegranate.  And  so  each  winter 
when  the  seeds  of  grain  are  sowed,  the  daughter 
of  the  grain-mother  goes  down  into  the  dark 
ground,  and  the  fields  are  bare  and  unlovely  while 
the  mother  mourns.  But  when  the  time  agreed 
upon  is  over,  and  Persephone  comes  again  to  the 
light,  then  Demeter  is  glad  and  looks  to  her 
fields.  The  fresh  young  spears  of  grain  come  out 
of  the  dark  earth,  and  when  the  time  comes  and 
the  crops  begin  to  ripen,  Demeter  makes  the  fields 
beautiful  with  poppies,  and  then,  when  the  ears 
are  full,  men  gather  them  joyfully  and  bring 
them  into  their  barns  and  praise  the  bountiful 
Demeter  and  her  lovely  daughter. 

El  eu'sis  is  a  small  town  a  few  miles  distant 

Mysteries. 

from  Athens.     Here  were  celebrated  the  Mys- 


Fig.  44.     Demeter,  Triptolemus  and  Persephone. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        161 

teries  in  honor  of  Demeter.  All  Athens  took 
part  in  the  procession  and  the  purification,  but 
to  the  Mysteries  themselves  only  those  who  had 
been  initiated  were  admitted.  The  ceremonies 
were  kept  very  secret,  but  it  seems  that  the  rape 
of  Persephone  and  her  return  were  dramatically 
represented,  and  that  the  initiate  gained  some 
deeper  trust  in  a  happy  immortality  than  was 
known  to  others.  The  story  of  the  institution 
of  these  El  eu  sin'i  an  Mysteries  is  connected  with 
Demeter's  search  for  her  daughter. 

Exhausted  by  nine  days  of  fasting  and  useless  Demeter  and 

J  Trlptolemus. 

wandering,  Demeter  had  come  to  Eleusis  and 
had  sat  down  beside  a  well.  Here  came  the  four 
daughters  of  the  king  of  that  land  to  fill  their 
water-jars.  Seeing  the  tired  old  woman,  they 
spoke  to  her  kindly  and  brought  her  with  them 
to  their  father's  house.  The  king's  wife  had 
lately  borne  a  son,  and  the  disguised  goddess 
took  the  baby  to  nurse.  She  anointed  him  with 
ambrosia,  and  each  night  as  he  slept  she  placed 
him  in  the  embers  on  the  hearth,  for  so  she  in- 
tended to  burn  away  the  mortal  part  and  make 
him  as  one  of  the  gods.  But  the  anxious  queen 
watched  through  the  door  one  night,  and  rushed 
in  with  terrified  cries  to  rescue  her  baby  from 
the  fire.  Then  the  goddess  rose  in  all  her  divine 
majesty  and  said  to  the  mother:  "O  foolish 
woman!  now  have  you  brought  incurable  evil 
upon  your  son ;  I  would  have  made  him  immortal 


162     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

and  given  him  everlasting  youth,  but  now  must 
he  suffer  the  common  lot  of  men.  Yet  I  will 
give  him  imperishable  honor  since  he  has  lain 
on  my  breast.  But  come  now,  build  me  here  a 
temple,  and  the  rites  in  it  I  will  myself  pre- 
scribe/' So  they  built  to  Demeter  a  great  tem- 
ple, and  when  the  child  Trip  tol'e  mus  had  grown 


Fig.  45.    Triptolemus  in  the  dragon-drawn  Chariot. 

up,  the  goddess  taught  him  to  raise  grain  and  corn 
and  sent  him  in  a  dragon-drawn  chariot  through 
every  land  to  teach  men  how  to  sow  and  reap. 
Through  him,  too,  she  gave  the  Greeks  her  Mys- 
teries and  a  better  hope  for  the  future  life.  As 
the  Greek  poet  Pindar  says :  "  Happy  is  he  that 
hath  seen  those  things  ere  he  go  beneath  the 
earth;  he  knoweth  life's  end,  he  knoweth  its  be- 
ginning given  of  God." 


Fig.  46.     Dionysus  or  Bacchus. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth       165 

It  was  soon  after  the  expulsion  of  the  kings,  ceres, 
at  the  time  of  a  failure  of  crops,  that  the  Romans, 
in  obedience  to  a  command  of  the  Sibylline 
books 22  introduced  the  worship  of  Demeter. 
Even  then  she  was  not  worshiped  under  her 
Greek  name,  but  was  indentified  with  an  old  Latin 
goddess  named  Ceres,  and  Persephone  was  given 
the  Latinized  form  Proserpina.  Ceres  was  al- 
ways the  special  protectress  of  the  plebeians. 

Di  on  y'sus  or  Bacchus  is  familiarly  known  as  Dionysus  or 

....  ......  Bacchus. 

the  convivial  wine-god ;  but  while  the  vine  is  most 
closely  associated  with  him,  he  is,  in  truth,  the 
vital  strength  of  everything  that  grows,  the 
power  of  fertility  and  of  joyful,  springing  life. 

His  mother  was  Sem/e  le,  daughter  of  Cadmus  His  with  and 

travels. 

(see  p.  256),  the  founder  of  Thebes,  and  his  fa- 
ther was  Zeus.  Though  Semele  was  of  divine 
descent  on  both  sides  of  her  family,  she  was  her- 
self a  mortal,  and  to  make  love  to  her  Zeus  put  on 
the  form  of  a  mortal.  At  first  she  rejected  his  at- 
tentions, but  when  he  told  her  who  he  was,  she 
yielded  and  gladly  received  him.  Hera  knew  of 
this  and  was  filled  with  angry  jealousy.  Dis- 
guising herself  as  Semele's  old  nurse  Ber'o  e,  she 
led  the  girl  on  to  talk  of  her  love.  When  she 
had  heard  all  the  story,  she  pretended  not  to 
believe  that  the  lover  was  Zeus.  "If  he  were, 
why  should  he  not  come  to  you  in  all  his  glory, 

22  Books  of  prophecy  said  to  have  been  received  by  Tar- 
quin,  the  legendary  king  of  Rome,  from  the  Sibyl. 


i66    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

as  he  does  to  Hera?  He  is  treating  you  with 
very  little  respect."  Semele's  pride  was  touched. 
The  next  time  her  lover  came  she  induced  him 
to  swear  that  he  would  grant  whatever  she  should 
demand.  Then  she  asked  that  he  should  show 
himself  to  her  in  all  his  Olympian  majesty.  The 
fatal  oath  by  the  Styx  had  been  given;  even  to 
save  one  he  loved  Zeus  could  not  recall  it.  He 
came  to  her  as  God  of  Heaven,  armed  with  the 
thunder-bolts.  No  mortal  could  endure  his  glory 
or  the  flame  of  the  lightning;  poor  Semele  was 
reduced  to  ashes.  So  the  earth  is  scorched  by 
the  full  blaze  of  the  Greek  sun  at  midsummer,  or 
seared  by  the  lightning;  only  the  seeds  within  it 
remain  alive.  Just  so  Semele's  baby,  Dionysus 
or  Bacchus,  came  to  birth  from  his  mother's 
ashes,  and  ivy  sprang  up  miraculously  to  shade 
him  from  the  hot  sky.  His  grieving  father  took 
him  and  gave  him  to  the  mountain  nymphs  of 
Nysa  to  nurse.  As  he  grew  older  Si  le'nus,  one 
of  the  lesser  divinities  of  earth,  was  given  to 
him  as  a  tutor,  and  with  his  help  he  discovered 
all  the  secrets  of  nature,  especially  the  culture  of 
the  vine.  He  taught  his  followers,  the  rustic 
deities,  to  make  from  the  grapes  wine,  the  mys- 
terious source  at  once  of  womanish  weakness, 
and  invincible  power  and  joyous  freedom  from 
care.  Intoxicated  by  the  new  drink,  they 
thronged  together  in  Bacchic  revels.  Wherever 
he  went,  he  was  joined  by  crowds  of  women, 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        167 

called  Bac  chan'tes,  who  celebrated  his  worship 
by  wild  dances,  the  clashing  of  cymbals,  the  beat- 
ing of  drums,  shrill  flutings,  and  unrestrained 
shouts.  Always  so  accompanied,  Bacchus  trav- 
eled over  the  world,  teaching  the  cultivation  of 


Fig.  47.     Silenus  with  Dionysus. 

the  grape  and  the  power  of  wine.  He  penetrated 
to  India,  where  even  the  panthers  and  lions  fell 
under  his  charm  and  obediently  drew  his  tri- 
umphal chariot.  As  a  conquering  hero  he  re- 
turned to  Greece  and  demanded  worship  every- 


The  Bacchic 
rites. 


168    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

where.  And  everywhere  the  women  flocked  to 
his  revels.  Dressed  in  the  skins  of  beasts,  with 
streaming  hair,  brandishing  snakes  or  the  ivy- 
twined  wand  or  thyrsus,  they  joined  in  the  wild 
dances.  With  shrill  outcries  they  tore  in  pieces 
the  sacrificial  animals  and  devoured  the  raw  flesh. 
At  Thebes  Pen'theus,  the  king,  forbade  the 
revels,  and  when  the  women  of  his  city,  in  de- 


Fig.  48.     Bacchic  Procession. 

fiance  of  his  commands,  went  out  to  join  the  Bac- 
chantes, he  followed  to  spy  on  the  secret  rites. 
Enraged  at  this  opposition,  Bacchus  made  the 
women  mad.  They  mistook  the  king  for  a  wild 
beast  and  tore  him  to  pieces,  his  own  mother 
leading  in  the  murderous  assault.  There  is  prob- 
ably some  historical  basis  for  this  story,  for  these 
extravagant  wild  rites,  introduced  from  Thrace 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        169 

or  Asia  Minor,  met  with  bitter  opposition  in  some 
parts  of  Greece.  But  the  promise  they  offered 
of  raising  the  worshiper  above  the  bounds  of 
the  natural,  plodding  human  life  and  giving  a 
high  and  divine  power  through  mystic  union  with 
the  god,  overrode  all  opposition,  and  the  Bacchic 
mysteries  were  received  and  practised  with  im- 
mense enthusiasm. 

Many  stories  are  told  of  Bacchus  and  his  trav-  The  good 
els,  and  of  how  he  punished  his  enemies  and  re- 
warded his  friends.  On  one  occasion,  as  he  was 
lying  asleep  on  the  shore  of  an  island,  some  pirates 
came  upon  him,  and  thinking  that  the  beautiful 
youth  might  be  held  for  a  large  ransom,  they 
carried  him  off  to  their  ship.  The  helmsman, 
recognizing  the  god  in  his  divine  grace  and  beauty, 
implored  his  companions  to  set  him  free,  but  they 
were  deaf  to  his  words.  When  the  god  awoke 
he  tearfully  besought  his  captors  to  take  him  to 
the  island  of  Naxos.  Pretending  to  consent  they 
steered  the  other  way.  Suddenly  the  ship  stood 
rooted  in  the  sea;  ivy  trailed  up  the  mast,  and 
vines  wreathed  the  sails;  a  sweet  odor  filled  the 
air,  and  wine  flowed  about  the  deck.  The  cap- 
tive's bonds  dropped  from  him,  and  in  his  place 
crouched  a  lion.  In  their  terror  the  sailors  leaped 
overboard  and  were  instantly  transformed  into 
dolphins  —  all  but  the  god-fearing  helmsman, 
whom  Bacchus  saved  and  made  his  follower. 


170    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Midas.23  Midas  was  a  king  in  Phrygia.  One  day  Silenus 
in  a  dazed  and  drunken  condition  was  brought  be- 
fore him.  Recognizing  Bacchus'  tutor  in  the 
muddled  old  man,  Midas  entertained  him  well  and 
sent  him  back  to  his  pupil.  In  return  for  this 
good  office,  Bacchus  offered  to  fulfil  whatever 
wish  the  king  should  make.  When  Midas,  being 
excessively  fond  of  riches,  asked  that  whatever  he 
touched  might  become  gold,  Dionysus  was  sorry 
for  the  foolish  wish,  but  could  not  withdraw  his 
offer.  Midas  returned  home  in  delight.  To  try 
his  new  power  he  touched  an  oak  branch;  it  be- 
came golden.  He  lifted  a  stone  from  the  ground  : 
it  was  a  mass  of  gold.  The  very  earth  became 
hard  and  yellow  at  his  touch.  He  picked  some 
ears  of  grain ;  golden  was  the  harvest.  He  pulled 
an  apple  from  the  tree;  one  would  have  thought 
it  one  of  the  golden  apples  of  the  Hesperides. 
If  he  touched  the  door-posts  with  his  fingers,  the 
posts  shone  as  gold.  When  he  washed  his  hands 
in  fresh  water,  the  drops  that  fell  were  like  the 
golden  shower  that  deceived  Danae.  (See  p. 
200. )  The  servants  placed  a  banquet  before 
him;  when  he  touched  the  bread  it  hardened 
under  his  fingers ;  when  he  raised  a  dainty  morsel 
to  his  lips,  his  teeth  closed  on  a  lump  of  gold. 
He  mingled  wine  with  his  water;  molten  gold 
flowed  down  his  throat.  And  now  he  hated  and 
loathed  the  wealth  that  he  had  loved ;  he  was 

23  Following  Ovid.  Metamorphoses.  XI.  85  ff. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        171 

starving  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  Raising  his 
hands  and  gleaming  arms  to  heaven  he  cried: 
"  Have  pity  on  me,  kindly  Bacchus,  I  have  sinned ! 
Oh,  pity  me,  and  take  away  the  cursed  boon !  " 
Bacchus  heard  him.  He  bade  him  go  to  the 
river  Pac  to'lus  and  wash  in  the  spring  from 
which  it  rises.  There  the  golden  touch  left  him 
and  was  transferred  to  the  river,  whose  sands  are 
mixed  with  gold  to  this  day. 

Dionysus  married  A  ri  ad'ne,  a  beautiful  prin-  Ariadne, 
cess  of  Crete,  whom  the  hero  Theseus  (see  p. 
250)  had  carried  away  from  her  home  and  had 
then  deserted  on  the  island  of  Naxos.  Her  di- 
vine lover  Dionysus  came  to  her  while  she  slept 
and  wakened  her  by  a  kiss.  The  wedding  of  the 
pair  was  celebrated  with  great  magnificence  and 
joy,  and  as  a  wedding  gift  the  god  gave  his  bride 
a  crown  studded  with  brilliant  stars.  When  she 
died,  her  grieving  husband  threw  the  crown  up 
into  the  heavens.  There  it  can  still  be  seen  as 
Corona,  or  Ariadne's  Crown. 

Although  the   Di  on  -/si  a,   or  Bac  cha-na'li  a,   The 

......  .  Dionysia, 

were  always  celebrated  with  wild  orgies  and  ex- 
travagant enthusiasm,  Dionysus  also  received 
worship  of  a  different  character.  Praise  was 
given  to  him  as  the  hospitable  and  genial  deity 
who  brings  joy  to  the  feast,  frees  men  from  care, 
and  makes  them  of  friendly  and  kindly  feelings 
towards  one  another.  He  brought  to  men  civili- 
zation and  law ;  he  was  a  lover  of  peace.  By  his 


172    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 


Dionysus: 
appearance 
and  emblems. 


exhilarating  power  he  inspired  poets  and  mu- 
sicians and  thus  is  associated  with  Apollo  and  the 
Muses.  The  Attic  drama  originated  at  the  festi- 
vals of  Dionysus.  The  rough  dances  and  music 
were  reduced  to  form;  the  choral  dances  became 
pantomimic,  and  the  songs  took  on  dramatic 
character.  From  this  was  developed  tragedy 
and  comedy.  The  great  theater  of  Athens  is  in 
the  precinct  of  Dionysus. 

There  is  much  variation  in  the  representations 
of  the  god;  two  distinct  types  are  especially  fa- 
miliar. In  the  one  he  appears  as  a  mature  man, 
bearded  and  heavily  draped ; 
this  was  the  regular  type 
in  early  times.  In  the 
other  he  appears  as  a 
smooth-faced  young  man, 
of  grace  and  charm  that 
is  almost  feminine.  His 
hair  is  long,  sometimes 
hanging  in  curls  and  some- 
times caught  up  on  his  head 
like  that  of  a  woman.  He 
usually  is  either  nude  or 
wears  a  panther's  or  lion's 
skin  over  his  shoulder. 
His  head  is  crowned  with 
ivy  or  grape-leaves,  and  he  holds  in  his  hand 
grapes  or  a  shallow  cup  of  wine.  Sometimes  he 
is  represented  as  the  eastern  conqueror  in  his 


Fig.  49.     Youthful 
Dionysus. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        173 

triumphal  car,  drawn  by  lions  or  panthers,  while 
about  him  throng  his  followers,  Satyrs,  Sileni, 
Maenads  (see  p.  179),  mingling  with  his  votaries, 
the  Bacchantes,  who  brandish  snakes  or  ivy- 
twined  staves. 


Fig.  50.    Bacchic  Procession. 

Tell  me,  Muse,  concerning  the  dear  son  of  Hermes, 
the  goat-footed,  the  two-horned,  the  lover  of  the  din  of 
revel,  who  haunts  the  wooded  dells  with  dancing 
nymphs  that  tread  the  crests  of  the  steep  cliffs,  calling 
upon  Pan  the  pastoral  god  of  the  long  wild  hair.  Lord 
is  he  of  every  snowy  crest  and  mountain  peak  and 
rocky  path.  (Homeric  Hymn  to  Pan.) 

This  is  that  mysterious  pastoral  god,  Pan,  the 
spirit  of  the  mountains  and  woods  of  Greece. 
The  daughter  of  a  mortal  bore  him  to  Hermes  as 
he  tended  her  father's  sheep  in  the  hills  of  Arca- 
dia. A  strange  child  he  was,  as  the  poet  sings, 
goat-legged,  with  horns  and  a  goat's  beard,  laugh- 
ing and  jumping  even  from  his  birth.  His 


174    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

mother  was  frightened  when  she  saw  him,  but 
Hermes  was  glad  and  wrapped  him  in  the  skins 
of  hares  and  carried  him  off  to  Olympus  to  show 
him  to  the  gods.  They  were  all  delighted  with 
him,  especially  Dionysus,  and  they  called  him  Pan. 

Hither  and  thither  he  goes  through  the  thick  copses, 
sometimes  being  drawn  to  the  still  waters,  and  some- 
times faring  through  the  lofty  crags  he  climbs  the  high- 
est peak  whence  the  flocks  are  seen  below;  ever  he 
ranges  over  the  high  white  hills,  and  ever  among  the 
knolls  he  chases  and  slays  the  wild  beasts,  the  god  with 
keen  eye,  and  at  evening  returns  piping  from  the  chase, 
breathing  sweet  strains  on  the  reeds.  .  .  .  With  him 
then  the  mountain  nymphs,  the  shrill  singers,  go  wan- 
dering with  light  feet,  and  sing  at  the  side  of  the  dark 
water  of  the  well,  while  the  echo  moans  along  the 
mountain  crest,  and  the  god  leaps  hither  and  thither, 
and  goes  into  the  midst,  with  many  a  step  of  the  dance. 
On  his  back  he  wears  the  tawny  hide  of  a  lynx,  and  his 
heart  rejoices  with  shrill  songs  in  the  soft  meadow, 
where  crocus  and  fragrant  hyacinth  bloom  all  mingled 
amidst  the  grass.  (Homeric  Hymn  to  Pan.) 

So  one  can  almost  see  him  to-day  as  one  listens 
in  the  hills  to  the  Greek  shepherds  piping  to  their 
sheep,  just  as  they  did  in  the  old  days  before  Pan 
died.  But  it  is  not  safe  to  see  him,  for  he  is  a 
shy  god  and  a  mischievous,  and  if  one  spies  upon 
him  when  he  is  sleeping  or  at  play,  one  may  have 
good  cause  to  repent.  Indeed  it  is  best  to  avoid 
certain  shady  spots  by  springs  at  noon-day,  for 
there  Pan  chooses  to  sleep  while  the  big  flies  buzz 
in  the  sun-light  and  all  else  is  still,  and  he  does 


Fig.  51.     Pan  and  a  Nymph. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        177 

not  like  to  be  disturbed.  At  night  he  lives  in 
caves  in  the  hills,  and  those  places  are  sacred  to 
him.  There  is  one  of  these  sacred  caves  in  the 
cliff  that  forms  the  Acropolis,  right  in  the  city 
of  Athens,  but  Pan  deserted  it  long  ago,  and  al- 
tars to  Christian  saints  were  set  up  near  by.  He 
had  no  worship  in  Athens  until  the  time  of  the 
Persian  Wars,  and  then  the  story  goes  that  just 
before  the  battle  of  Marathon  a  runner  sent  to 
Sparta  to  ask  for  help  against  the-  Persians  was 
met  on  the  road  by  Pan,  who  told  him  that  he 
wished  well  to  the  Athenians  and  would  help  them 
in  the  battle,  although  they  had  hitherto  paid  him 
no  honor.  And  after  the  battle  they  remembered 
the  unreasoning  fear  that  had  fallen  upon  the 
Persians  and  how  they  had  fled  before  the  Greeks, 
though  so  much  fewer  in  number,  and  they  set 
apart  this  cave  as  his  shrine.  Such  fear  as  this 
is  known  as  Panic  terror.  Sometimes  it  mysteri- 
ously comes  upon  men  in  the  woods ;  often  it  seizes 
a  flock  of  sheep  and  without  cause  they  rush  upon 
their  own  destruction. 

But  Pan  is  not  always  dangerous  or  ill-natured  ;  The  syrinx, 
to  those  he  favors  he  sends  increase  of  their  flocks 
and  keeps  their  herds  safe  from  harm.  Some 
shepherds  whom  he  loved  he  taught  to  play  on 
the  pipes,  and  they  taught  others,  and  so  the  shep- 
herds in  the  lonely  hills  can  pipe  to  their  lady- 
loves as  Pan  pipes  to  the  nymphs.  For  Pan  loves 
the  nymphs,  although  they  are  a  little  afraid  of 


178     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

his  goat's  legs  and  his  queer  goat-like  face,  and 
sometimes  run  away  from  him.  So,  they  say, 
he  wished  to  press  his  love  on  the  nymph  Syrinx, 
but  she  fled  from  him,  and  when  he  had  followed 
her  to  the  bank  of  a  stream  and  thought  he  was 
just  seizing  her,  his  hand  closed  on  a  bunch  of 
reeds.  From  his  windy  sighs  a  sweet,  plaintive 
sound  rose  among  the  hollow  reeds,  so  he  broke 
off  a  few  of  unequal  length,  fastened  them  to- 
gether with  wax,  and  so  made  the  syrinx,  a  mu- 
sical instrument  of  that  form. 
The  worship  As  he  is  the  mysterious  soul  of  nature,  Pan  is 

of  Pan. 

very  wise  and  knows  even  what  the  future  holds, 
and  so  throughout  Greece  his  oracles  were  con- 
sulted, and  to  Pan  and  the  nymphs  people  prayed 
and  brought  offerings  of  milk  and  cheese  and 
honey,  or  a  kid  from  their  flocks. 
"Great  pan  But  "Great  Pan  is  dead."  The  story  is  told 

is    dead."  * 

by  Plutarch.  In  the  time  of  the  emperor  Tiberius 
a  ship  was  sailing  from  Greece  to  Italy.  As  it 
passed  by  a  certain  island,  all  on  board  heard  a 
voice  calling,  "  Thamus."  Three  times  the  call 
was  repeated  and  at  the  last  an  Egyptian  of  that 
name,  who  was  of  the  ship's  company,  answered. 
He  was  told  that  when  they  came  to  a  certain 
place  off  the  coast  of  Epirus,  he  was  to  announce, 
"  Great  Pan  is  dead."  When  the  ship  reached 
this  place,  a  calm  fell,  and  Thamus  did  as  he  had 
been  told.  Immediately  a  sound  of  lamentation 
answered  from  the  shore,  as  if  an  unseen  multi- 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        179 

tude  were  mourning.  The  Christian  tradition 
toldvthat  this  was  about  the  time  of  Christ's  death, 
andvthat  the  mysterious  voice  announced  the  end 
of  the  gods  of  Greece/  who  withdrew  lamenting 
before  the  cross  of  Christ. 


Fig.  52.    Votive  Offering  to  Pan  and  the  Nymphs. 
Pan  is  not  always  represented  with  the  goat's  HIS  ap- 

.  pearance. 

legs  and  beard ;  sometimes  his  form  is  entirely 
human  except  for  the  slightest  indication  of  horns 
to  mark  his  animal  nature.  In  this  he  is  almost 
indistinguishable  from  the  Satyrs. 

Not  only  in  appearance  but  in  nature  and  origin   satyrs. 


180    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Pan's  companions,  the  Satyrs,  bear  a  close  re- 
semblance to  him.     They,  too,  are  wild  spirits 
of  the  woods  and  hills,  half  timid,  playful  ani- 
mals,  and   half   human.     They   have   short,   flat 
noses,    pointed    ears,    and 
little  tails,  sometimes,  too, 
goats'   legs.     They    follow 
Dionysus,    or    they    dance 
and    play    with    Pan    and 
the    nymphs,    and    are    al- 
ways hankering  after  wine 
and  women.     The  country 
people    feared    them,    for 
they  sometimes  stole  away 
the    herds    and    killed    the 
goats  and  sheep,  but  they 
imitated  their  rough,  lively 
Fig.  53.    Dancing         dances     and     their     noisy 
Satyr-  songs,  and  so  developed  a 

popular  kind  of  drama,  called  satyric  drama,  in 
which  the  chorus  was  composed  of  men  dressed 
as  Satyrs.  These  dramas  were  given  in  honor  of 
Dionysus.  In  later  times  Satyrs  appear  in  art 
as  younger,  gentler,  and  more  innocent,  just  as 
one  may  see  in  the  graceful  young  Satyr  or  Faun 
of  Praxiteles,  who  leans  pensively  against  a  tree, 
holding  a  flute  in  his  hand. 

F«unus. .  Faunus  was  an  old  Roman  god  of  flocks  and 
herds,  who  through  his  power  of  prophecy  and 
his  pastoral  character  became  identified  with  Pan. 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth       181 


Finally  many  Fauns  were  conceived  of  and  con- 
founded with  the  Satyrs. 

Another  of  the  company  of  Dionysus  was  his 

*  Marsyas    and 

tutor  Silemis,  he  who  was  brought  in  an  intoxi-   Midas, 
cated    condition    to    King    Midas.     There    were 
many  Sileni,  and  they  were  first  heard  of  in  Asia 
Minor,    where    they    were 
represented     with     horses' 
ears    and    tails    and    were 
connected    with     fountains 
and     running     water    and 
were  credited  with  the  gift 
of    prophecy.     That    same 
King     Midas     by     mixing 
wine  in  a  fountain  is  said 
to   have  caught   a   Silenus 
and  forced  him  to  tell  him 
the     future.     The     Sileni, 
like     other     rural     deities, 
were  musicians.     To  Athe- 
na   is    attributed    the    dis- 
covery   of    the    flute,    but 
when  she  saw  what  distor- 
tion of  face  its  use  required,  she  threw  it  aside  in 
disgust.     It  was  picked  up  by  the  Silenus,  Mar'- 
sy  as,  who  became  so  skilful  in  its  use  that  he  im- 
pudently challenged  Apollo  to  a  musical  contest 
When  the  prize  of  victory,  as  was  right,  had  been 
adjudged  to  Apollo  and  his  lyre,  Marsyas  paid  a 
terrible  penalty,  for  Apollo  had  him  flayed  and 


Fig.  54.    Faun  of 
Praxiteles. 


18.2    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

his  empty  skin  hung  on  a  tree  as  a  warning  to 
all.  Some  say  that  Midas  was  present  at  this 
contest  and  that  in  punishment  for  his  foolish 
judgment  in  favor  of  the  Silenus  he  was  given 


Fig.  55.    Athena  and  Marsyas. 

ass's  ears.  Ovid,  however,  tells  that  this  indig- 
nity came  upon  him  for  his  decision  in  favor  of 
Pan  in  a  musical  contest  with  Apollo.  The  king 
tried  to  hide  his  deformity  by  wearing  a  large 
turban,  but  his  barber,  unable  to  contain  the  se- 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth        183 

cret,  dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  and  whispered  it  to 
the  earth.  On  that  place  reeds  grew  up  and,  as 
they  rustled  in  the  wind,  ever  repeated,  "  Midas 
has  ass's  ears."  24 

The  Sileni  usually  appear  as  the  most  repulsive 
and  ludicrous  of  Dionysus'  company.  They  have 
short,  bloated  bodies,  and  ugly,  drunken  faces; 


Fig.  56.    Apollo  and  Marsyas. 

they  are  rarely  separated  from  their  cherished 
wine-skins.  The  original  and  higher  type  is  re- 
tained when  Silenus  appears  as  the  nurse  of  Di- 
onysus; in  Greece  he  was  sometimes  regarded 
simply  as  the  eldest  of  the  Satyrs  and  was  repre- 
sented accordingly. 

24  Ovid,  Metamorphoses,  XI.  146  ff. 


184    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  name  nymph  in  Greek  simply  means  young 
The  nymphs.  W0man;  it  is  used  of  all  those  nature-spirits  of 
trees  and  brooks,  woods  and  hills,  that  were  con- 
ceived under  maiden  form.  In  their  groves  and 
brooks  they  lived,  spinning  and  weaving,  singing 
and  dancing  in  the  meadows,  or,  when  no  one  was 
by  to  see  them,  bathing  in  the  clear  springs. 
They  accompanied  Artemis  in  the  chase,  followed 
Dionysus'  noisy  throng,  or  played  and  quarreled 
with  the  mischievous  Satyrs.  Sometimes,  too, 
they  loved  mortal  men,  and  many  of  the  heroes 
had  nymphs  for  mothers  or  for  brides;  but  it 
was  an  uncertain  relationship,  for  often  the  mor- 
tal, longing  for  his  own  people,  deserted  his 
nymph,  or  she  grew  tired  of  human  restraints 
and  returned  to  her  wilds. 

There  were  different  kinds  of  nymphs.  The 
Naiads  were  the  bright  elusive  spirits  of  the 
springs  and  brooks,  the  Oreads  were  the  moun- 
tain spirits,  the  Dryads  and  Hamadryads  lived  in 
the  trees.  Unlike  a  god,  a  nymph  was  not  im- 
mortal, and  when  the  hour  came  and  the  tree 
died,  the  Dryad  died  too.  When  some  woods- 
man felled  a  great  tree  in  the  forest,  he  turned 
aside  with  a  murmured  prayer  as  it  fell,  for  then 
the  nymph  sighing  passed  out  of  her  body  and 
vanished.  The  Greek  writer  Hesiod  says  that  a 
crow  lives  nine  times  as  long  as  a  man,  a  deer  four 
times  as  long  as  a  crow,  a  raven  three  times  as 
long  as  a  deer,  a  phoenix  nine  times  as  long  as  a 


The  Gods  of  the  Earth       185 

raven,  and  a  nymph  ten  times  as  long  as  a  phoenix. 

Echo  was  a  nymph  whom  Pan  loved  and  pur- 
sued, but  she  loved  a  Satyr,  or,  as  others  say,  she 
loved  the  beautiful  youth  Nar  cis'sus.  He  did 
not  return  her  love,  but  seeing  his  own  reflexion 
in  a  stream,  loved  that,  and  ever  gazing  into  his 
own  eyes,  withered  away  with  vain  passion. 
Then  Echo,  too,  pined  from  disappointed  love  un- 
til she  was  nothing  but  a  disembodied  voice  that 
lives  on  among  the  rocks  and  hills. 

The  nymphs  were  worshiped  throughout 
Greece,  and  offerings  of  lambs,  milk,  oil,  and  wine 
were  brought  to  their  groves  and  grottoes. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  WORLD  OF  THE  DEAD 
The  Greek  THE  Greeks,  who  found  in  this  world  so  much 

view  of  death. 

that  was  interesting,  beautiful,  and  heroic,  utterly 
dreaded  the  coming  of  death  to  take  them  from 
this  very  real  present  life  and  plunge  them  into 
an  unknown  future.  They  believed,  indeed,  in 
a  life  after  death,. but  it  was  a  shadowy  and  un- 
real one,  not  to  be  compared  to  the  most  hum- 
drum existence  on  the  sun-lit  earth.  The  great 
hero  Achilles,  when  his  shade  appeared  before 
Odysseus  on  his  visit  to  the  world  of  the  dead, 
earnestly  declared : 

Nay,  speak  not  comfortably  to  me  of  death,  O  great 
Odysseus !  Rather  would  I  live  upon  the  earth  as  the 
hireling  of  another,  with  a  landless  man  that  hath  no 
great  livelihood,  than  bear  sway  among  all  the  dead 
that  be  departed.  (Odyssey,  XI.  488  ff.) 

The  realm  of          Tust  where  the  realm  of  the  dead  was  is  un- 

the  dead.  J 

certain.  In  the  Odyssey  Homer  tells  of  a  land 
far  to  the  west,  by  the  river  Ocean,  beyond  the 
setting  of  the  sun,  where  in  eternal  darkness  and 
mist  lived  the  souls  of  the  departed ;  but  generally 
people  thought  of  this  gloomy  land  as  being  far 
186 


The  World  of  the  Dead       187 

beneath  the  earth,  in  the  darkness  of  the  lower 
world.  Near  Cumse,  in  the  vicinity  of  Naples, 
where  volcanic  vapors,  hot  springs,  and  strange 
upheavals  of  the  ground  suggest  the  nearness  of 
mysterious  powers  below  the  earth,  a  cave  with 
unexplored  depths  offered  entrance  to  the  land 
of  the  dead,  and  A  ver'nus,  a  lake  whence  rose 
deadly  vapors,  was  thought  to*  be  but  the  over- 
flow of  the  rivers  of  Hades.  Other  localities  in 
Greece  and  the  islands  afforded  passage  for  the 
departing  soul  to  its  long  home,  and  permitted 
occasional  intercourse  between  the  dead  and  the 
living. 

To  this  gloomy  land,  wherever  it  was,  the  soul,   The  journey 

of  the  soul 

when  it  left  the  body,  journeyed  under  the  guid-  after  death, 
ance  of  the  god  Hermes.  Though  the  body  of 
the  dead  might  lie  upon  his  bed  in  his  own  home, 
or  upon  the  battle-field,  the  soul,  thought  of  as  a 
tiny  winged  creature  in  form  like  the  living  man, 
but  insubstantial  and  shadowy,  joined  the  greaf 
throng  of  pale  shades  that  were  always  unhappily 
waiting  on  the  shores  of  the  river  Ach'e  ron. 
Here  he  must  wait  in  uneasy  expectation  until 
the  friends  he  had  left  behind  him  should  give 
his  body  due  burial  with  sacrifice  and  provide  him 
with  a  small  coin,  an  obol,  for  his  passage  money. 
Only  then  would  old  Charon,  the  terrible  ferry- 
man of  the  dead,  receive  him  into  his  leaky  skiff 
and  set  him  across  the  hated  stream.  For  all 
Hades  was  cut  off  from  approach  by  its  rivers, 


i88    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Acheron,  River  of  Woe,  and  its  branches, 
Co  cy'tus,  River  of  Wailing,  and  Phleg'e  thon, 
River  of  Fire.  The  fourth  river  of  Hades  was 
the  Styx,  by  which  the  gods  swore  their  unbreak- 
able oaths.  Once  across  the  Acheron .  the  soul 


Fig.  57-     riiaron  in  his  Skiff. 

must  pass  by  the  three-headed  watch-dog,  Cer'- 
ber  us,  to  appease  whom  he  was  provided  with 
a  little  cake  made  of  seed  and  honey.  Then  he 
entered  through  the  wide  gates  of  Hades  into  that 
immense  home  of  the  dead,  open  in  hospitality 
to  all  men,  as  the  Greeks  grimly  said. 


The  World  of  the  Dead       189 

Here  Hades,  or  Pluto  reigned,  the  dark  and 
hateful  brother  of  Zeus,  and  beside  him  the  stolen 
Persephone  (Proserpina),  no  longer  young  and 
happy  as  when  she  played  with  the  nymphs  in  the 
bright  fields  of  Sicily,  but  stern  and  cruel  on  the 
throne  beside  her  black  lord.  When  the  Cyclopes 
gave  to  Zeus  the  thunderbolts  and  to  Poseidon 
the  trident  as  the  symbols  of  their  power,  they 
gave  to  Pluto  the  helmet  of  darkness  that  made 
its  wearer  invisible.  Only  twice  do  we  hear  of 
the  infernal  king  leaving  his  kingdom  to  appear 
in  the  light  of  the  sun;  once  when  he  came  to 
carry  off  Persephone,  and  again  when  the  hero 
Heracles  had  wounded  him,  he  was  forced  to 
visit  Olympus  to  get  the  help  of  the  divine  physi- 
cian. Pluto  had  deputed  judges  to  weigh  each 
dead  man's  good  and  evil  deeds  and  assign  each 
to  his  proper  place  —  Minos  (see  p.  230)  the 
former  just  king  of  Crete,  his  brother  Rhad  a- 
man'thus,  and  y£'a  cus  (see  p.  283),  the  righteous 
grandfather  of  the  hero  Achilles.  If  the  soul  was 
condemned,  the  Furies,  or  Eu  men'i  des,  avengers 
of  crime,  terrible  with  their  snaky  locks,  drove 
the  criminal  before  them  to  a  place  of  punishment 
yet  lower  than  Hades  and  buried  in  threefold 
night,  while  the  righteous  were  led  to  the  place 
of  the  Blessed.23 

25  This  conception  of  a  judgment  with  its  consequent 
punishment  and  reward  was  not  developed  until  long  after 
the  time  of  Homer. 


190    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Tartarus.  In  the  place  of  torment,  Tar'tar  us,  were  those 

Titans  whom  Zeus  had  overthrown,  the  rebellious 
giants,  and  wicked  men  who  here  paid  the  penalty 
for  their  crimes  against  the  gods.  Impious  Ix- 
i'on  for  his  inhuman  cruelties  was  bound  to  a  fiery 
wheel  and  racked  and  torn  by  its  swift  revolu- 
tions. Sis'y  phus  (see  p.  236) ,  who  tried  to  cheat 
even  Death,  must  forever  roll  up-hill  a  heavy 
stone,  which  ever  rolled  down.  Tantalus  (see  p. 
281),  who  abused  the  hospitality  of  the  gods, 
ever  tortured  by  hunger  and  consuming  thirst, 
tried  vainly  to  reach  fruits  hung  just  above  his 
head,  or  stooped  to  drink  the  water  which  always 
eluded  his  parched  lips.  From  this  comes  our 
word  tantalize.  The  forty-nine  daughters  of 
Dan'a  us,  who  had  murdered  their  husbands, 
hopelessly  fetched  water  in  leaky  vessels.  (See 
p.  199.)  All  the  air  sounded  with  groans  and 
shrieks,  and  the  Furies  drove  the  victims  who 
would  escape  back  to  their  endless  torture. 

Fieeidfly8ian  "^e  Elysian  Fields  were  originally  regarded 
as  the  last  home  only  of  a  few  favored  heroes, 
sons  of  the  gods,  but  afterwards  men  thought  of 
them  as  peopled  by  others  too,  those  who,  through 
their  noble  lives  or  perhaps  through  participation 
in  the  Mysteries  of  Demeter,  were  admitted  to 
this  glorious  companionship.  These  fortunate 
ones  lived  in  calm  happiness  in  the  Elysian  Fields 
or  Island  of  the  Blest. 


The  World  of  the  Dead       191 

Far  from  gods  and  men,  at  the  farthest  end  of  the 
earth,  in  the  deep-flowing  ocean,  where  the  earth  bears 
thrice  in  a  year. —  Hesiod,  Works  and  Days,  197  ff. 

No  snow  is  there,  nor  yet  great  storm,  nor  any  rain ; 
but  always  ocean  sendeth  forth  the  breeze  of  the  shrill 
west  to  blow  cool  on  men. —  Odyssey,  IV.  566  ff. 

Here  the  heroes  feasted  or  wandered  together 
through  the  flowery  fields,  contended  in  games 


Fig.  58.    Heracles  carrying  off  Cerberus. 

and  enjoyed  a  repetition  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
upper  world.26 

Though  the  lower  world  was  generally  closed          Bt0  the 
to  the  living,  yet  some  few  heroes  visited  it  in  lower  world- 
life.     Heracles  came  to  carry  off  the  watch-dog 
Cerberus.     The  hero  Odysseus   (Ulysses)   came 

2(5  It  is  not  possible  to  give  a  simple  and  consistent  ac- 
count of  the  life  after  death  that  will  accord  with  the 
various  descriptions  in  the  Greek  poetry  of  different 
periods. 


192    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

by  the  advice  of  the  sorceress  Circe,  to  ask  about 
his  future  course.  ^Eneas,  the  Trojan  ancestor 
of  the  Romans,  came  for  the  same  purpose. 
These  stories  will  be  told  in  detail  later  on.  (See 
pp.  223,  311,  343.) 
Orpheus  and  One  man  won  his  entrance  and  safe  departure 

Eurydice.  .  • 

through  his  divine  gift  of  music.  This  was 
Or'pheus,  son  of  Apollo  and  the  Muse  Calliope, 
who  had  learned  from  his  father  to  play  the  lyre 
so  marvelously  that  at  his  song  wild  beasts  be- 
came tame,  serpents  came  out  of  the  earth  to 
listen,  the  very  stones  obeyed  his  will.  When  his 
wife  Eu  ryd'i  ce  died  from  the  sting  of  a  snake, 
he  followed  her  to  Hades,  by  his  music  persuad- 
ing even  grim  Charon  and  the  dog  Cerberus  to 
let  him  pass  in.  Pluto,  too,  yielded  to  his  song 
and  allowed  him  to  carry  away  Eurydice,  on  con- 
dition that  he  would  not  look  back  at  her  until  he 
should  reach  the  upper  world.  But  just  as  they 
were  about  to  come  to  the  light  of  earth,  the  de- 
sire to  see  his  beloved  wife  overpowered  Orpheus, 
and  he  turned  and  looked  at  her.  Then  Hermes 
gently  took  Eurydice  by  the  hand  and  led  her 
back  to  the  home  of  the  dead.  Orpheus  refused 
to  be  comforted  and  rejected  the  advances  of  all 
other  women.  In  the  end,  he  met  his  death  by 
the  violence  of  some  frenzied  Bacchantes. 
Charmed  by  his  music,  the  stones  they  threw  fell 
harmless  at  his  feet,  until  the  mad  shouts  of  the 
women  drowned  the  strains  of  his  lyre.  Then 


Fig-  59-     Parting  of   Orpheus  and   Eurydice. 


The  World  of  the  Dead       195 

they  killed  him  and  tore  him  limb  from  limb. 
His  head  and  lyre,  floating  down  the  river,  still 
gave  forth  melodious  sounds.  The  Muses  buried 
the  fragments  of  his  body,  and  above  his  grave 
the  song  of  the  nightingale  is  sweeter  than  any- 
where else  in  the  world. 


PART  II 
THE  HEROES 


CHAPTER  XI 
STORIES  OF  ARGOS 
THE  family  of  Dan'a  us  and  his  famous  de-  Danatis  ana 

J  his  fifty 

scendant  Perseus  sprang  from  that  lo,  the  daugh-  daughters. 
ter  of  the  river-god  In'a  chus,  whom  Zeus  had 
loved.  (See  p.  24.)  Still  in  the  form  of  a 
hei  f er,  she  came  to  Egypt,  where  she  was  restored 
to  her  human  form  and  gave  birth  to  a  son. 
Some  of  her  descendants  remained  in  Egypt  and 
ruled  there  as  kings. 

One  of  these  Egyptian  kings  had  two  sons, 
JE  gyp'tus  and  Danaus,  of  whom  the  former  was 
the  father  of  fifty  sons  and  the  latter  of  as  many 
daughters.  Danaus  had  cause  to  fear  his 
nephews,  and  when  they  wished  to  marry  his 
daughters,  he  fled  to  Argolis;  but  yEgyptus  and 
his  sons  followed  them  and  pressed  the  marriage. 
While  pretending  to  yield,  Danaus  ordered  his 
daughters  to  carry  concealed  daggers  and  each  to 
murder  her  husband  on  the  wedding  night. 
Eorty-nine  of  the  fifty  obeyed,  but  the  fiftieth, 
Hy  perm  nes'tra,  spared  her  husband,  Lynceus. 
About  the  fate  of  the  forty-nine  there  is  some  dif- 
ference of  opinion.  Some  say  that  Danaus  found 
suitors  so  scarce  after  this  that  he  was  compelled 

199 


2OO    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

to  give  them  to  the  contestants  in  a  race.  Others 
say  that  Lynceus  killed  them  all  to  avenge  his 
brothers,  and  that  they  were  punished  in  Hades 
by  being  compelled  eternally  to  carry  water  in 
leaky  vessels.  Perhaps  these  Da  na'i  des  repre- 
sent the  springs  of  Argolis,  whose  waters  quickly 
run  away  and  are  absorbed  by  the  dry  and  porous 
soil  of  that  country. 

pe?saeusand  Hypermnestra  and  Lynceus  had  a  grandson 
named  A  cris'i  us,  to  whom  was  born  one  daugh- 
ter, Danae,  and  no  son.  When  he  sent  to  the 
oracle  at  Delphi  to  know  whether  he  might  hope 
for  a  male  child,  he  received  the  answer  that  he 
was  fated  to  have  no  son  and  that  he  should  meet 
death  at  the  hands  of  a  son  of  Danae.  Hoping 
to  avoid  this  danger,  he  had  a  great  bronze  cham- 
ber constructed  in  the  earth,  and  here  he  impris- 
oned his  daughter  with  her  nurse.  After  some 
years,  when  he  was  one  day  passing  near  the 
opening  of  this  strong  prison,  he  was  astonished 
to  hear  the  voice  of  a  little  child  at  play.  Sum- 
moning his  daughter  before  him  he  inquired  who 
was  the  father  of  her  child.  She  answered  him 
that  through  the  opening  in  the  roof  of  her  prison 
Zeus  had  come  to  her  in  the  form  of  a  golden 
shower,  and  that  it  was  he  who  was  the  father 
of  her  child,  Perseus.  Acrisius,  by  no  means  be- 
lieving this  story  and  determined  to  be  rid  of 
his  dangerous  grandson,  had  the  mother  and  child 
shut  up  in  a  great  chest  and  set  adrift  on  the 


Stories  of  Arsros 


201 


Fig.  60.    Carpentei 


making  the  chest  for  Danae  and 
Perseus. 


sea.     The  Greek  poet  Simonides  tells  of  the  love 
and  despair  of  the  young  mother : 

When,  in  the  carven  chest, 
The  winds  that  blew  and  waves  in  wild  unrest 
Smote  her  with  fear,  she,  not  with  cheeks  unwet, 
Her  arms  of  love  round  Perseus  set, 
And  said :     O  child,  what  grief  is  mine  ! 


202    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

But  thou  dost  slumber,  and  thy  baby  breast 
Is  sunk  in  rest, 

Here  in  the  cheerless  brass-bound  bark, 
Tossed  amid  starless  night  and  pitchy  dark. 

Nor  dost  thou  heed  the  scudding  brine 
Of  waves  that  wash  above  thy  curls  so  deep, 
Nor  the  shrill  winds  that  sweep, — 
Lapped  in  thy  purple  robe's  embrace, 
Fair  little  face ! 

But  if  this  dread  were  dreadful  too  to  thee, 
Then  wouldst  thou  lend  thy  listening  ear  to  me; 
Therefore  I  cry, —  Sleep,  babe,  and  sea  be  still, 
And  slumber  our  unmeasured  ill. 

Oh !  may  some  change  of  fate,  sire  Zeus,  from  thee 
Descend,  our  woes  to  end ! 
But  if  this  prayer,  too  overbold,  offend 

Thy  justice,  yet  be  merciful  to  me !  -7 

Zeus  did  not  fail  to  hear  her  cry,  but  guided 
the  chest  to  the  island  of  Se  ri'phus,  where  a 
fisherman,  Dictys  by  name,  drew  it  ashore  in  his 
net.  Unlike  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  island, 
he  was  a  kindly  man  and  he  cared  for  the  un- 
fortunate castaways  in  his  own  home. 
The  quest  of  It  happened  that  a  brother  of  the  fisherman, 
Pol  y  dec'tes,  who  was  king  of  the  island,  fell  in 
love  with  Danae  and,  as  he  was  an  unjust  and 
cruel  man,  wished  to  make  her  accept  his  love 
even  against  her  will.  But  by  this  time  Perseus 
had  grown  into  a  particularly  strong  and  brave 
young  man,  and  Polydectes  was  afraid  of  him. 
He  therefore  formed  a  plan  to  get  him  out  of  his 
27  Translation  by  John  Addington  Svmonds. 


Stories  of  Argos  203 

way.  Inviting  a  number  of  young  men  to  a 
feast,  he  asked  them  each  to  bring  him  some  valu- 
able gift.  Perseus  impulsively  declared  that  he 
was  ready  to  attempt  anything,  even  to  getting 
the  head  of  the  gorgon  Me  du'sa,  the  most  im- 
possible feat  imaginable.  Now  Medusa  had  once 
been  a  beautiful  maiden,  who  was  over-proud  of 
her  beauty,  and  especially  of  her  glorious  hair. 


Fig.  61.    Head  of  Medusa. 

When  she  dared  to  compare  herself  to  Athena, 
the  goddess  avenged  the  insult  by  turning  her 
hair  into  snakes  and  her  face  into  so  terrible  a 
sight,  with  its  great  glaring  eyes,  and  its  huge 
mouth  with  protruding  tongue,  that  any  one  who 
looked  upon  it  was  turned  to  stone.  Polydectes 
caught  at  Perseus'  offer,  and  while  he  demanded 
only  a  horse  as  a  gift  from  each  of  the  other 
young  men,  he  insisted  that  nothing  but  this  hor- 


204    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

rible  head  would  be  acceptable  from  him.  One 
cannot  wonder  that  Perseus  was  thrown  into  the 
depths  of  despair  at  the  thought  of  this  hopeless 
adventure. 

As  he  wandered  along  the  shore,  however, 
Hermes  met  him,  urged  him  not  to  lose  hope, 
and  instructed  him  how  he  should  accomplish  the 
task.  For  his  success  three  things  were  neces- 
sary, the  helmet  of  Hades,  which  made  its  wearer 
invisible,  the  winged  sandals,  and  the  magic  wal- 
let. These  were  in  the  care  of  the  nymphs,  and 
no  one  could  tell  him  where  these  nymphs  were 
except  the  Grae'ae,  three  extraordinary  old  women 
who  had  among  them  just  one  tooth  and  one  great 
bright  eye.  Hermes,  therefore,  sent  Perseus  off 
under  the  guidance  of  Athena,  to  find  these  old 
women. 

The  Grseae.  But  when  Perseus  came  to  them,  the  Grseae  re- 
fused to  tell  him  where  the  nymphs  lived,  and  it 
was  only  when  he  adroitly  seized  the  eye,  as  the 
old  women  passed  it  from  one  to  another,  that 
he  compelled  them  to  tell  him  what  he  wanted 
upon  pain  of  being  forever  deprived  of  sight. 
Having  thus  found  the  nymphs  and  having  re- 
ceived from  them  the  helmet  of  Hades,  the 
winged  sandals,  and  the  magic  wallet,  still  under 
the  guidance  of  Hermes  and  Athena  the  young 
hero  flew  far  away  to  the  west,  where  the  stream 
of  Ocean  encircles  the  world.  Here,  by  the 


Stories  of  Argos 


205 


shore,  were  sleeping  the  gorgons,  Medusa  and  her 
two  terrible  and  immortal  sisters. 


Fig.  62.     Perseus  killing  Medusa. 


Now  the  wise  Athena  had  warned  Perseus  that  The  gorgon 

Medusa    slain. 

he  must  not  look  directly  at  the  gorgons,  but 
must  fly  down  from  above,  guiding  himself  by 


2o6    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  reflection  in  his  brightly  polished  shield. 
Perseus  did  exactly  as  he  was  told,  and  with  one 
blow  of  his  sharp  sword  severed  Medusa's  head 
from  her  body,  and  thrust  it  into  the  magic  wal- 
let. But  the  two  sisters  were  awakened  by  the 
hissing  of  the  snakes,  and  as  the  hero  flew  away 
on  the  winged  sandals,  they  pursued  him  and 
would  certainly  have  caught  him  had  not  the  hel- 
met of  Hades  made  him  invisible, 
turned  On  his  return  journey,  Perseus  came  to  the 

to  stone. 

entrance  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  where  the 
giant  Atlas  ruled,  rich  in  flocks  and  herds  and 
proud  of  his  Garden  of  the  Hes  per'i  des,  where 
grew  trees  of  golden  apples.  Now  Atlas  had 
learned  from  an  oracle  that  one  day  a  son  of 
Zeus  would  come  who  would  rob  him  of  the  cher- 
ished golden  fruit.  When,  therefore,  Perseus 
came,  announcing  himself  as  the  son  of  Zeus  and 
demanding  rest  and  a  hospitable  welcome,  Atlas 
not  only  refused  him  but  tried  violently  to  drive 
him  from  his  land.  Perseus  was  no  match  for 
the  giant  in  strength,  but  he  drew  from  the  wallet 
the  terrible  gorgon's  head.  Atlas  was  changed 
into  a  mountain ;  his  beard  and  hair  became  trees, 
and  his  bones,  rocks ;  his  head  towered  high  among 
the  clouds,  and  the  sky  with  all  its  stars  rested 
upon  his  shoulders.  This  is  the  Mt.  Atlas  in 
Africa  that  still  guards  the  entrance  to  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  rising  opposite  Gibraltar. 


Stories  of  Argos  207 

Next  the  hero  came  to  the  land  of  Ethiopia, 
where  Cepheus  and  his  wife  Cas  si  o  pe'a  ruled. 
Because  the  queen  had  boasted  that  she  was  more 
beautiful  than  the  ocean  nymphs,  Poseidon  in 


Fig.  63.    Atlas    supporting   the  Heavens. 

anger  had  sent  a  terrible  sea-monster  to  devastate 
the  coast,  and  the  oracle  had  pronounced  that  only 
by  the  sacrifice  of  the  princess  An  drom'e  da 
could  the  land  be  freed  from  this  terror.  So, 
when  Perseus  came  flying  by  on  his  winged  san- 


208    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

dais,  he  saw  a  lovely  maiden  chained  to  a  rock 
and  raising  tearful  eyes  to  heaven.  He  stopped, 
learned  of  the  cruel  sacrifice,  and  secured  from 
Cepheus  the  promise  that  if  he  should  kill  the 
monster  and  free  the  maiden,  he  should  have  her 
as  his  wife.  The  sword  that  had  severed  Me- 
dusa's head  from  her  body  now  put  an  end  to 
Poseidon's  monster,  and  the  grateful  parents  re- 
ceived the  conqueror  as  a  worthy  son-in-law. 
But  while  they  were  celebrating  the  wedding- 
feast,  Phineus,  to  whom  Andromeda's  hand  had 
been  promised,  but  who  had  held  back  while  the 
terrible  sea-serpent  threatened,  rushed  in  with  a 
strong  band  of  followers  and  attempted  to  claim 
his  bride  and  slay  his  courageous  rival.  Again 
Medusa's  head  was  drawn  out,  and  Phineus  and 
his  company  were  turned  to  stone, 
poiydectes  During  Perseus'  absence  Polydectes  had  be- 

turned    to  .     \ 

stone.  come  more  violent  and  tyrannical  than  ever,  and 
Dictys  and  Danae  had  been  compelled  to  take 
refuge  at  a  shrine.  Here  they  were  when  the 
hero  returned  in  triumph  to  Seriphus.  Polydec- 
tes was  seated  in  the  midst  of  his  wicked  court, 
assembled  to  witness  the  discomfiture  of  the 
foolish  young  man  who  had  gone  out  on  such  an 
impossible  adventure.  Even  when  Perseus  came 
before  them  and  showed  the  wallet,  the  king  re- 
fused to  believe  that  it  contained  the  dreadful 
head.  As  the  company  looked  scornfully  on  him. 
the  hero  drew  forth  the  head,  and  instantly  Poly- 


Stories  of  Argos  209 

dectes  and  his  whole  court  became  stone  images. 
Dictys  was  made  king  of  Seriphus,  the  gorgon's 
head  was  presented  to  Athena,  on  whose  breast- 
plate, or  aegis,  it  ever  after  appeared,  and  Per- 
seus, accompanied  by  his  mother  and  his  bride, 
returned  to  his  native  land  of  Argos. 

The  hero's  grandfather,  Acrisius,  had  heard 
that  his  grandson  was  coming  and  had  fled  to  an- 
other town  to  avoid  his  fate,  but  Perseus,  inno- 
cent of  any  evil  intention,  followed  him,  wishing 
to  persuade  him  to  return.  In  an  athletic  con- 
test Perseus  threw  a  discus,  which,  bounding 
aside,  hit  Acrisius  on  the  foot,  thus  causing  his 
death  and  bringing  the  fulfilment  of  the  old 
prophecy.  After  this  Perseus  felt  unwilling  to 
succeed  to  the  throne  of  his  grandfather;  he 
therefore  effected  an  exchange  with  his  cousin 
and  became  king  of  My  cense  and  Tiryns. 


CHAPTER  XII 
HERACLES  (HERCULES) 
OF  all  the  heroes,  Her'a  cles,  better  known  bv 

birth. 

his  Roman  name,  Her'cu  les,  was  by  far  the  most 
widely  honored  and  the  greatest,  and  the  stories 
of  his  deeds  of  prowess  are  many.  His  mother 
was  Ale  me'na,  a  grandchild  of  Perseus,  and  a 
daughter  of  Elec'tryon,  king  of  Mycenae.  Her 
father  married  her  to  a  famous  warrior,  Am- 
phi'tryon  by  name,  who  by  accident  killed  his 
father-in-law  and  was  forced  with  his  wife  to 
flee  to  Thebes.  On  one  occasion  when  Amphi- 
tryon was  away  fighting,  Zeus  visited  Alcmena 
in  the  form  of  her  husband,  and  later,  when  twin 
sons  were  born  to  her,  the  one,  Heracles,  was 
declared  to  be  Zeus's  son,  while  the  other  was  the 
son  of  Amphitryon. 
Hera's  Now  just  before  Heracles'  birth  Zeus  had  de- 

enuiity. 

clared  in  the  assembly  of  the  gods  that  a  descend- 
ant of  Perseus  would  soon  be  born  who  should 
rule  mightily  over  Mycense.  Hera,  always  jeal- 
ous of  Zeus's  children  by  other  wives,  plotted  to 
foil  his  purpose.  She  extracted  from  him  a 
promise  that  the  child  first  born  on  a  certain  day 
axo 


Fig.  64.    Heracles. 


Heracles    (Hercules)  213 

should  be  the  ruler  in  that  land.  Having  secured 
this,  she  retarded  the  birth  of  Heracles  and 
brought  his  cousin  Eu  rys'theus  first  to  the  light. 
Nor  did  her  jealous  hatred  end  there,  for  through- 
out his  life  Heracles  suffered  labors  and  great 
unhappiness  at  her  hands. 

His  troubles  and  dangers  began  in  his  baby-  Heracles 

t-       J        T?  •    u*      u        TT          i  j  u-  •       Bangles  the 

hood,  ror  one  night  when  Heracles  and  his  twin  serpents, 
brother  were  ten  months  old,  their  mother  had 
laid  them  side  by  side  in  their  father's  great 
curved  shield,  and  rocking  the  shining  cradle  had 
hushed  them  to  sleep :  "  Sleep,  my  babes,  sleep 
sweetly  and  light ;  sleep,  brothers  twain,  goodly 
children.  Heaven  prosper  your  slumbering  now 
and  your  awakening  to-morrow."  At  midnight 
Hera  sent  two  terrible  serpents  with  evil  gleam- 
ing eyes  and  poisonous  fangs  to  kill  Heracles. 
Then  the  babies  awoke,  and  the  mortal's  son  cried 
aloud  and  tried  to  slip  from  the  cradle,  but  Her- 
acles gripped  the  poisonous  serpents  by  the 
throats  and  strangled  them  with  his  baby  hands. 
Alcmena  heard  the  cry  and  called  upon  her  hus- 
band to  make  haste  and  see  what  was  wrong. 
Calling  on  his  slaves  to  follow,  Amphitryon 
sprang  from  his  bed  and  rushed  to  the  cradle. 
There  was  Heracles  capering  with  joy  and  hold- 
ing out  the  strangled  serpents  for  his  father  to 
see.  His  parents,  appalled  at  the  evil  omen,  con- 
sulted a  seer  as  to  what  it  might  mean,  and  were 
told  that  their  son  was  to  be  a  mighty  hero,  who, 


214     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

after  many  labors,  should  go  to  share  the  life  of 
the  immortals.28 

educacuon        ^°  Heracles,  commonly  known  as  Amphitry- 
on's son,  grew  strong  and  active ;  from  his  father 


Fig.  65.    Heracles   strangling  the   Serpents. 

he  learned  to  drive  a  chariot,  from  a  son  of 
Hermes  all  kinds  of  athletic  games,  and  from  a 
son  of  Apollo  he  learned  music.  This  unfor- 
tunate tutor  was  the  first  to  feel  his  pupil's  power, 
for  in  a  moment  of  rage  the  boy  killed  him  with 
a  blow  of  his  lyre.  Then  Amphitryon  sent  him 
as  Theocritus,  Idyl  XXIV. 


Heracles    (Hercules)  215 

to  be  brought  up  among  the  shepherds.  It  is  told 
that  once  at  cross-roads  Heracles  met  two  women, 
Duty  and  Pleasure,  and  that  each  asked  him  to 
take  her  as  his  guide.  Notwithstanding  the  en- 
ticing offers  Pleasure  made  him,  the  hero  chose 
Duty  and  followed  her  through  life. 

When   he   was   grown,   Heracles  married   the  The  Twelve 

Labors. 

daughter  of  the  king  of  Thebes.     But  Hera,  who 


Fig.  66.    Five  of  Heracles'  Labors. 

still  hated  Alcmena's  son,  sent  a  cursed  madness 
upon  him  so  that  he  threw  his  own  children  into 
the  fire.  Seeking  purification  from  his  crime,  he 
left  his  country  and  his  wife  and  journeyed  to 
Delphi.  The  god  commanded  that  he  should 
serve  his  cousin  Eurystheus  and  so  make  atone- 
ment. Thus,  as  Hera  had  planned,  Zeus's  son 
became  the  servant  of  Eurystheus,  at  whose  bid- 
ding he  performed  twelve  great  labors.  The 


216    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

number  was  twelve  because  Heracles  is  a  sun-god, 
and  the  labors  follow  the  course  of  the  sun 
through  the  months,  beginning  near  at  hand  in 
Argolis  and  ending  in  the  lower  world. 

(1)  The       A  ferocious  lion,  whose  lair  was  a  cave  in  the 

Nemean 

i-ion.  mountains  of  Argolis,  was  ravaging  the  country 
round.  Eurystheus  ordered  Heracles  to  rid  him 
of  this  terror.  Finding  that  his  arrows  did  not 
even  pierce  the  beast's  hide,  Heracles  finally 
caught  him  in  his  cave  and  strangled  him;  then 
he  bore  him  back  to  Mycenae.  But  Eurystheus 
was  so  terrified  by  the  sight  of  the  dead  lion  that 
he  ordered  the  hero  never  thereafter  to  enter  the 
city,  but  to  display  his  spoils  outside  the  walls. 
The  skin  of  the  lion,  impervious  to  all  weapons, 
Heracles  always  afterwards  wore. 

(2)  The       In  the  marsh  of  Lerna,  also  in  Argolis,  lived 

Lernean 

Hydra.  the  Hydra,  a  serpent  with  nine  heads,  and  so 
poisonous  that  its  touch  or  its  foul  breath  caused 
death.  This  beast  Heracles  attacked  with  his 
sword,  but  finding  that  as  he  cut  off  one  head 
two  grew  in  its  place,  he  ordered  his  nephew  and 
faithful  companion  lo  la'us,  to  burn  each  neck  the 
instant  he  had  severed  the  head.  One  head  was 
immortal;  this  he  buried  under  a  stone.  The 
Hydra  seems  to  represent  the  malaria  coming 
from  a  marsh,  until  it  is  dried  up  by  the  sun. 
<3j  The  The  scene  of  the  next  three  labors  was  Ar- 

ryman      a  First,  Heracles  caught  a  fierce  wild  boar 


in  a  net  and  brought  it  alive  to  Eurystheus,  who 


Heracles    (Hercules)  217 

was  so  fearful  of  it  that  he  jumped  into  a  large 
jar  and  only  peeped  out  at  it  over  the  rim. 

Next,  a  golden-horned  doe,  unlike  most  does    (4)  The 
very  dangerous,  had  to  be  caught.     Its  brazen  Doe. 
hoofs  never  knew  fatigue,  and  it  led  Heracles  a 
chase  for  a  whole  year  before  it  was  caught  and 
brought  to  Mycenae. 

Near  the  Stvm  pha'li  an  Lake  lived  huge  birds   (p)  The 

*  Stymphaliau 

with  arrow-like  feathers  and  mighty  talons,  who  Birds. 


Fig.  67.    Heracles  killing  the  Hydra. 

used  to  snatch  men  and  beasts  and  carry  them 
away.  At  Athena's  suggestion,  Heracles  aroused 
these  birds  with  cymbals  and  then  shot  them  with 
arrows  which  he  had  dipped  in  the  Hydra's 
poison. 

His  next  task  carried  the  hero  to  Elis,  where   (e>  The 
he  was  sent  to  clean  the  stables  of  Au  ge'as,  which  ° 

had  not  been  cleaned  in  thirty  years.     This  he  ac- 


218    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

complished  by  turning  the  course  of  the  river 
Al  phe'us  so  that  it  flowed  through  the  stables. 
King  Augeas  cheated  him  of  the  reward  he  had 
promised,  and  later,  when  he  was  free,  Heracles 
took  vengeance  upon  him  and,  at  the  same  time, 


Fig.  68.     Heracles  carrying  the  Boar. 

established  in  Elis  the  Olympic  Games  in  honor 
of  his  father  Zeus. 

(7>  The  King  Minos  of  Crete  had  been  presented  with 

a  beautiful  bull  by  Poseidon,  but,  as  he  refused 
to  offer  it  in  sacrifice,  it  had  been  driven  mad 
and  was  a  menace  to  the  whole  island.  Heracles 
tamed  the  brute  and  rode  it  across  the  sea  back 
to  Greece.  Later  the  bull  escaped  and  went  to 


Heracles    (Hercules)  219 

Marathon,  where  the  hero  Theseus  finally  killed  it. 

Di  o  me'des  was  a  son  of  Ares  and  ruled  as  (8)  The 
king  in  the  savage  land  of  Thrace.  He  had 
marvelous  horses  whom 
he  fed  on  the  flesh  of 
men.  When  Heracles 
attempted  to  capture 
these  fierce  beasts,  the 
Thracians  in  great  num- 
bers attacked  him,  but 
he  and  lolaiis  drove 
them  off  and  bore  the 
horses  back  to  Eurys- 
theus. 

Hip  pol'y  ta    was    at 
this  time  the  queen  of 
the  Amazons,  a  warlike 
tribe    of    women    that 
lived  near  the  Etixine 
Sea.     Ares   had    given 
her  a  girdle,  and  Eu- 
rystheus'  daughter  cov- 
eted  it.     When    Hera- 
cles arrived  at  her  court 
and  asked  for  the  gir- 
dle,   Hippolyta   was   so   struck   by   his   strength 
and  beauty  that  she  would  have  given  it  him, 
had    not    Hera,    unwilling   that   he    should    get 
off  so  easily,  roused  the  other  Amazons  to  at- 


(9)  The 
Girdle  of 
Hippolyta, 


Fig.  69.     Amazon. 


22O    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

tack  him.  Then  Heracles,  thinking  that  the 
queen  had  played  him  false,  killed  her.  On  his 
way  home  from  this  adventure,  when  he  had 
come  to  Troy,  he  found  the  king  La  om'e  don  in 
great  trouble.  For  when  Poseidon  and  Apollo 
had  built  for  him  the  walls  of  his  city,  he  had 
failed  to  give  them  the  reward  he  had  promised. 
Poseidon  had,  therefore,  sent  a  dreadful  sea-mon- 
ster to  ravage  the  coast,  and  nothing  would  free 
the  city  from  this  terror  but  that  He  si'o  ne, 
Laomedon's  daughter,  should  be  offered  to  the 
monster.  The  maiden  was  waiting  to  be  de- 
voured when  Heracles  came  and  agreed  to  kill 
the  serpent  in  return  for  the  gift  of  some  won- 
derful horses  that  Laomedon  had  received  from 
Zeus  in  payment  for  his  stolen  son,  Gan'y  mede. 
The  incorrigible  king  cheated  Heracles,  too,  and 
later  paid  for  his  dishonesty  with  his  life, 
do)  The  His  tenth  labor  called  Heracles  to  the  far  west, 
where  the  sun  sinks  into  the  stream  of  Ocean. 
Here  lived  Ge'ry  on,  an  extraordinary  being  with 
three  bodies,  six  legs  and  six  arms,  and  a  pair 
of  monstrous  wings.  He  was  very  rich,  and 
thousands  of  glorious  red  cattle  fed  on  his  land 
under  the  guard  of  an  ever  watchful  dog  and  a 
strong  herdsman.  Heracles  sailed  thither  in  a 
golden  bowl,  which  the  sun  had  given  him,  using 
his  lion's  skin  as  a  sail.  As  he  passed  through 
the  straits  that  separate  Europe  from  Africa,  he 
landed  and  set  up  the  Pillars  of  Hercules  as  a 


Heracles    (Hercules)  221 

monument  of  his  feat.  On  arriving  at  the  coun- 
try of  Geryon  he  was  attacked  first  by  the  dog 
and  then  by  the  herdsman,  but  he  killed  them 
both,  and  finally,  after  a  terrific  struggle,  crushed 
Geryon  himself  and  drove  off  the  cattle.  Just 


Fig.  70.     Heracles  in  the  bowl  of  the  Sun. 

what  route  he  took  on  his  homeward  way  it  is 
difficult  to  say,  but  he  seems  to  have  visited  all 
the  lands  of  western  Europe  and  to  have  had 
many  adventures  and  done  many  marvelous  deeds. 
On  the  Aventine  Hill,  later  a  part  of  Rome,  he 
met  and  killed  the  giant  Cacus,  who  had  stolen 


222    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

some  of  his  cattle,  dragging  them  off  to  his  cave 
by  the  tails  so  that  their  tracks  might  mislead 
Heracles.  But  the  other  cattle  lowed  as  they 
passed  the  cave,  and  the  captives  answered  them, 
thus  betraying  the  hiding-place.  Approaching 
Greece  from  the  north,  at  last  he  brought  the 
cattle  to  Eurystheus,  who  sacrificed  them  to  Hera, 
an  Tho  When  Zeus  had  married  Hera,  she  had  pre- 

Apples  of  the 

Hesperides.  sented  him  with  some  golden  apples,  which  were 
kept  up  in  the  north  near  the  land  of  the  Hyper- 
boreans and  were  guarded  by  a  dragon.  To  learn 
just  where  to  find  them  Heracles  must  catch  and 
hold  Nereus,  the  Old  Man  of  the  Sea,  who,  like 
Proteus,  had  the  power  of  changing  his  form. 
But  whether  he  became  a  raging  lion  or  a  flame 
of  fire  or  flowing  water,  Heracles  held  him  fast 
and  at  length  had  his  question  answered.  On 
his  way  he  had  various  adventures,  for  in  Libya 
he  met  the  giant  Antaeus,  a  son  of  Earth,  who  was 
accustomed  to  challenge  all  comers  to  wrestle  with 
him.  As  every  time  he  fell  to  earth  he  rose 
with  redoubled  strength,  he  had  always  been  the 
victor,  and  a  temple  near  by  was  adorned  with 
the  skulls  of  his  victims.  Heracles  conquered 
him  by  holding  him  up  in  his  arms,  away  from 
his  mother  Earth,  until  he  crushed  in  his  ribs. 
While  the  hero  was  sleeping  after  this  combat, 
the  Pygmies  swarmed  about  him  and  tried  to 
bury  him  alive  in  the  sand,  but  he  awoke  and 
amused  himself  by  picking  them  up  and  bundling 


Heracles    (Hercules)  223 

them  into  his  lion's  skin  to  carry  home  with  him. 
In  Egypt  the  king  tried  to  sacrifice  him,  as  he 
did  all  strangers,  to  Zeus,  but  Heracles  burst  his 
bonds  and  dashed  out  the  brains  of  his  captors. 
In  the  Caucasus  Mountains  he  found  and  freed 
Prometheus,  who  for  ages  had  been  bound  there 
for  having  disobeyed  Zeus  and  given  fire  to 
men.  (See  p.  10. )  At  last  he  came  to  the  gar- 
den where  the  apples  grew  and  there  found  Atlas 
holding  up  the  heavens.  (This  would  make  it 
seem  that  the  garden  was  in  the  west,  but  mytho- 
logical geography  is  sometimes  hard  to  follow.) 
He  persuaded  Atlas  to  get  the  apples  for  him, 
taking  the  giant's  burden  while  he  was  gone. 
Atlas  returned  with  the  apples  but  refused  to 
take  up  his  burden  again,  preferring  to  be  the 
bearer  of  the  apples  to  Eurystheus.  Heracles, 
pretending  to  agree,  asked  him  to  take  the  heavens 
only  for  one  moment  while  he  put  a  cushion  on 
his  shoulder.  The  stupid  giant  was  taken  in,  and, 
of  course,  once  the  transfer  had  been  made, 
Heracles  went  on  his  way  leaving  Atlas  to  his  old 
burden.29 

His  twelfth  and  last  labor  took  Heracles  to   o?> 

berus. 

the  lower  world.  Here  he  was  guided  and  as- 
sisted by  Athena  and  Hermes,  and  with  their  help 
safely  passed  by  the  dangers  of  the  way  and 

2a  Cf.  the  story  of  Perseus  turning  Atlas  to  stone,  p.  207; 
such  inconsistencies  are  due  to  the  independent  develop- 
ment of  the  separate  stories. 


224    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

came  to  the  presence  of  King  Pluto.  The  king 
agreed  to  let  him  take  the  three-headed  watch- 
dog, Cerberus,  if  he  could  get  him  without  using 
a  weapon.  This  his  great  strength  enabled  him 
to  do,  and  he  took  the  dog  to  Mycenae.  Cer- 
berus was  afterwards  returned  to  the  lower  world. 
The  service  Although  his  twelve  labors  were  now  ended, 
Heracles  had  no  rest ;  Hera's  hate  still  pursued 
him.  While  he  was  staying  with  a  certain  king, 
he  killed  his  host's  son,  out  of  resentment  for  an 
imagined  injury,  and  because  of  this  violation 
of  hospitality  he  suffered  from  a  painful  illness. 
When  he  went  to  Delphi  to  ask  how  he  might 
escape  this  trouble,  Apollo  refused  to  answer, 
whereupon  Heracles  stole  the  tripod  and  was 
about  to  set  up  an  oracle  of  his  own.  Apollo 
hastened  to  defend  his  sacred  shrine,  and  the 
combatants  were  parted  only  by  a  thunderbolt 
from  Zeus.  They  thereupon  swore  loyal  friend- 
ship with  one  another,  and  Apollo  gave  the  hero 
an  answer  to  his  question.  He  might  expiate  his 
crime  by  having  himself  sold  as  a  slave  at  public 
auction  and  giving  the  price  to  the  family  of  the 
slain  man.  Om'pha  le,  Queen  of  Libya,  having 
bought  him,  he  served  her  faithfully  for  the  allot- 
ted term.  Part  of  the  time  he  was  fighting  his 
mistress'  enemies  and  keeping  her  country  from 
harm,  but  most  of  the  time  he  sat  at  her  feet  in 
womanish  clothes,  employed  in  spinning  and 
weaving  and  other  feminine  tasks. 


Heracles    (Hercules)  225 

At  the  end  of  his  term  of  service  he  turned  his    The  destruc- 

tiom  of  Troy. 

attention  to  avenging  himself  on  the  faithless 
Laomedon.  Assembling  a  force  of  men  and 
ships  he  attacked  Troy  and  took  it,  putting  to  the 
sword  the  king  and  all  his  sons  except  Priam. 
Him  he  made  king  in  his  father's  place. 

On  his  return  to  Greece  he  married  De  jan  i'ra,  5essusra  and 
after  righting  and  conquering  her  former  unwel- 
come lover,  the  river-god  Ach  e  lo'us.  Anchelous 
in  the  struggle  took  the  form  of  a  bull,  and  the 
horn  which  Heracles  broke  off  was  afterwards 
used  as  the  horn  of  plenty  or  cornucopia.30  After 
this  victory  again  he  was  attacked  by  his  madness 
and  killed  a  boy  at  his  father-in-law's  court. 
Self -exiled,  with  his  wife,  he  left  the  country, 
and  starting  again  on  his  wanderings,  came  to  a 
river  where  the  centaur  Nessus  acted  as  ferry- 
man. When  Nessus,  after  carrying  Dejanira 
over  on  his  back,  attempted  to  run  away  with  her, 
Heracles  drew  one  of  his  poisoned  arrows  and 
shot  him.  Before  he  died  he  gave  Dejanira  a 
vial  filled  with  his  own  blood,  telling  her  that  if 
her  husband's  love  ever  seemed  to  fail  she  should 
clip  a  robe  in  the  blood  and  his  love  would  be 
restored. 

Not  long  after  this  the  hero  undertook  to  pun-  The  death 

.  ,         ,  .  -  ,  .       ,  .      of  Heracles. 

ish  a  king  who  had  once  refused  to  give  him  his 
daughter  in. marriage.  He  took  the  city  and  car- 

30  Some  say  that  the  horn  of  plenty  was  the  horn  of  the 
goat  Amalthea;  see  p.  7. 


226    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

ried  off  the  princess  To  le  as  his  captive.  Stop- 
ping on  his  way  home  to  sacrifice  to  Zeus,  he  sent 
a  messenger  to  get  him  a  suitable  garment  to  wear 


Fig.  71.     Nessus  running  off  with  Dejanira. 

at  the  sacrifice.  Then  Dejanira,  fearing  that  his 
love  had  turned  from  her  to  the  captive  lole, 
remembered  the  centaur's  advice  and  sent  him  a 
robe  that  she  had  dipped  in  the  blood.  When 


Heracles    (Hercules)  227 

Heracles  put  it  on,  it  clung  to  his  body  and  ate 
into  his  flesh  like  fire.  In  his  agony  he  threw 
the  messenger  that  had  brought  the  garment  into 
the  sea,  and  then,  preferring  death  to  such  tor- 
ture, having  ordered  a  great  funeral-pyre  to  be 
raised  on  a  mountain-top,  he  laid  himself  upon  it 
and  begged  his  friends  to  set  fire  to  it.  All  re- 
fused to  be  responsible  for  the  hero's  death,  until 
at  length  Phil  oc  te'tes,  partly  from  pity  and  partly 
because  of  Heracles'  offer  of  his  famous  bow  and 
arrows,  applied  the  torch.  Amid  columns  of 
smoke,  and  thunder  and  lightning  sent  by  Zeus 
to  glorify  the  end  of  his  son,  the  hero's  spirit  left 
the  earth.  Thereafter  he  was  taken  into  Olympus 
and  made  a  god,  and  Hera,  relenting,  gave  him 
to  wife  her  own  daughter  Hebe.  His  earthly 
wife  Dejanira,  in  grief  and  remorse,  killed  her- 
self. 

Heracles  was  worshiped  both  as  a  hero  and  as  The  worship 

.  .  .         ,        of  Heracles. 

a  god,  and  was  called  upon  especially  in  the 
palestra  and  in  all  athletic  contests.  Young  men 
regarded  him  as  their  special  friend  and  helper. 
In  Athens  a  temple  was  built  in  honor  of  Her- 
acles, the  Warder  off  of  Evil,  in  memory  of  his 
many  good  deeds  to  men,  and  in  Rome,  as  Her- 
cules, he  was  worshiped  as  the  Unconquered  and 
the  Defender.  He  is  represented  as  a  gigantic 
man  of  remarkable  muscular  development.  His 
lion's  skin  hangs  over  his  shoulder  and  his  club 
is  in  his  hand. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

STORIES   OF   CRETE,   SPARTA,   CORINTH, 
AND 


I.    STORIES   OF    CRETE 

Europa.3i       £n  RQ'PA,  the  daughter  of  the  Phoenician  king, 
with  her  friends  and  companions  was  one  day 


Fig.  72.     Europa  on  the  Bull. 

gathering  flowers  in  the  meadows  by  the  sea- 
shore ;  merrily  they  were  filling  their  baskets  with 

31  Following  Moschus,  Idyl  II. 


Stories  of  Crete  229 

daffodils  and  lilies,  violets  and  roses,  contending 
who  could  gather  the  most.  Looking  down  from 
his  high  heaven  on  the  pretty  group,  Zeus  marked 
the  princess  Europa  in  the  midst,  preeminent 
among  her  companions,  just  as  Aphrodite  is  pre- 
eminent among  the  Graces.  To  see  her  was  to 
desire  her  for  his  own,  so  he  laid  aside  his  scepter 
and  his  thunderbolt  and  put  on  the  form  of  a 
white  bull,  a  beautiful  bull  that  had  never  felt 
the  yoke  nor  drawn  the  plow.  So  he  came  into 
the  flowery  meadow,  and  the  maidens  did  not  fear 
him  but  gathered  around  him  and  began  to  stroke 
his  snowy  sides.  At  Europa's  touch  he  lowed 
gently  and  beseechingly  and  kneeling  down  looked 
back  at  her  with  gentle,  loving  eyes  as  if  to  in- 
vite her  to  his  broad  white  back.  She  spoke  to 
her  playmates  and  said :  "  Come,  dear  com- 
panions, let  us  ride  on  this  bull's  back,  for  he 
looks  kind  and  mild,  not  at  all  like  other  bulls, 
and  so  like  a  man's  is  his  understanding  that  he 
lacks  only  the  power  of  speech."  So  she  sat 
down  smiling  upon  his  back,  and  the  others  would 
have  followed  her,  but  suddenly  the  bull,  having 
gained  what  he  wanted,  stood  up  and  in  all  haste 
made  for  the  sea. 

Then  Europa  stretched  out  her  hands  to  her 
companions,  crying  aloud  for  help.  But  already 
they  had  reached  the  shore,  and  still  the  bull 
rushed  on,  right  over  the  waves  with  hoofs  un- 
wet.  The  Nereids  rose  from  the  waters  and 


230    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

frolicked  about  them,  riding  on  the  dolphins; 
Poseidon,  calming  the  waves,  guided  them  on 
their  watery  path,  and  the  Tritons,  trumpeting  on 
their  long  shells,  sounded  the  marriage-hymn. 
Europa,  holding  with  one  hand  to  the  horn  of 
the  bull  and  with  the  other  holding  up  her  long 
robe  that  it  might  not  be  wet  with  the  waves, 
spoke  to  the  bull :  "  Whither  are  you  bearing 
me,  O  godlike  bull?  It  is  clear  that  you  are  a 
god,  for  none  but  a  god  could  do  this  thing. 
Alas!  why  did  I  ever  leave  my  father's  house  to 
follow  you  and  to  journey  alone  on  such  a  strange 
sea-voyage !  "  And  the  bull  answered :  "  Take 
heart,  dear  maiden,  and  fear  not  the  salt  sea- 
waves,  for  I  am  Zeus  himself,  and  it  is  love  of 
you  that  has  driven  me  to  journey  over  the  sea 
in  the  form  of  a  bull.  Soon  Crete  shall  receive 
you,  and  the  island  that  nourished  me  as  an  in- 
fant shall  be  your  wedding-place,  and  there  you 
shall  bear  me  famous  sons  that  shall  rule  as 
kings." 

Minos  i,  anii  In  Crete,  then,  Europa  bore  to  Zeus  three  sons, 
of  whom  one,  Minos,  became  king  of  the  island, 
and  by  his  just  and  enlightened  rule  brought  civili- 
zation and  prosperity  to  his  country  and  extended 
its  power  over  neighboring  lands.  After  his 
death,  in  consideration  of  his  righteousness  and 
wisdom,  he  and  his  brother  Rhadamanthus  were 
made  judges  of  the  dead  in  the  lower  world.  ( See 
p.  189.)  Minos  II,  the  grandson  of  this  Minos, 


Fig-  73-    Daedalus  and  Icarus. 


Stories  of  Crete  233 

seems  to  have  been  of  very  different  character ; 
for  when,  in  answer  to  prayer,  Poseidon  had  sent 
him  from  the  sea  a  splendid  white  bull  for  sacri- 
fice, he  offered  to  the  gods  an  inferior  animal  and 
put  the  bull  among  his  own  herds.  In  punish- 
ment, Poseidon  inspired  in  his  wife  an  unholy 
passion  for  the  bull,  so  that  she  left  her  home  and 
followed  the  beast  all  over  the  island.  From 
their  union  sprang  the  Minotaur,  half  bull  and 
half  man. 

During  the  reign  of  Minos  there  had  arrived  Daedalus, 
on  his  shores  an  exile  from  Athens,  Dae'da  lus, 
who  was  the  most  skilful  artist  and  engineer  of 
his  time.  When  a  safe  place  in  which  to  confine 
the  Minotaur  was  needed,  Daedalus  built  the  Laby- 
rinth, sc  winding  and  complicated  a  structure 
that  no  man  or  beast  once  shut  inside  could  ever 
find  the  exit.  Notwithstanding  this  and  other 
services  the  artist  fell  under  the  king's  displeasure 
and  was  himself,  with  his  son,  imprisoned  in  the 
Labyrinth  he  had  designed.  Knowing  no  way 
of  escape  to  be  possible,  he  constructed  for  him- 
self and  his  son  Ic'a  rus  wings  and  fastened  them 
on  with  wax.  Unfortunately,  however,  though 
Daedalus  had  warned  his  son  not  to  fly  too  near 
the  sun,  Icarus  forgot  the  injunction,  and  before 
he  could  be  recalled  the  wax  had  melted,  and  the 
boy  fell  into  the  sea  that  from  him  was  called 
the  Icarian  Sea,  the  part  of  the  y£gean  between 
the  Cyclades  and  Asia  Minor.  Daedalus  himself 


Castor   and 
Polydeuces. 


234    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

made  good  his  escape  to  Italy  and  there  dedicated 
his  wings  in  a  temple  of  Apollo. 


II.    STORIES   OF    SPARTA 


The  Di  os  cu'ri,  Castor  and  his  brother  Pol  y- 
deu'ces,  the  latter  better  known  by  his  Roman 
r.arne,  Pollux,  were  the  local  heroes  of  Sparta. 


Fig.  74.    The  Dioscuri    (Ancient  statues  now  set  up  be- 
fore the  king's  palace  in  Rome). 

Their  mother  Leda,  whose  mortal  husband  was 
the  king  Tyn  da're  us,  had  by  him  two  children, 
Cly  tem  nes'tra,  who  became  the  wife  of  King 
•Agamem'non  of  Mycenae,  and  Castor.  But 
Zeus  made  love  to  Leda,  taking  upon  himself 


Stories  of  Sparta  235 

when  he  visited  her  the  form  of  a  swan,  and  to 
him  she  bore  two  other  children,  Helen,  whose 
divine  beauty  brought  about  the  Trojan  War, 
and  Polydeuces.  Castor  was  famous  as  a 
trainer  of  horses,  while  Polydeuces  was  the  great- 
est of  all  boxers.  Between  the  two  brothers 
there  was  so  great  a  love  that  when  the  mortal's 
son,  Castor,  was  killed,  Polydeuces,  immortal  by 
virtue  of  his  divine  father,  obtained  permission 
to  divide  his  immortality  with  his  brother. 
Therefore  on  alternate  days  after  their  death  the 
two  were  among  the  dead  in  Hades,  and  among 
the  gods  in  heaven,  where  they  are  still  visible 
as  the  bright  stars,  Castor  and  Pollux,  in  the 
constellation  Gemini,  or  the  Twins.  They  were 
patrons  of  sailors,  to  whom  they  appear  as  balls 
of  fire  upon  the  masts,  giving  promise  of  clear 
weather  after  a  storm.32  Among  the  Romans 
they  received  worship,  and  after  the  battle  of 
Lake  Regillus,  fought  between  the  Romans  and 
the  exiled  Tarquins,  they  appeared  in  the  Forum 
as  two  glorious  youths  on  white  horses  and  an- 
nounced to  the  Romans  the  victory  of  their 
armies.  In  their  honor  a  temple  was  built  on 
the  spot  where  they  had  appeared.33 

32  This  may  perhaps  be  identified  with  the  phenomenon 
known  as  St.  Elmo's  Fire. 

33  Some  say  that  it  was  Castor  alone  who  appeared. 


236    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

III.    STORIES    OF    CORINTH 

Sisyphus.  Corinth,  through  its  situation  on  the  isthmus 
holding  command  of  two  seas,  was  from  the  be- 
ginning an  important  commercial  city,  and  its 
people  were  known  as  clever  business  men  able 
to  outwit  all  comers.  This  reputation  began  with 
the  founder  of  the  city,  Sis'yphus,  who  began 
his  career  by  bargaining  with  the  river-god 
A  so'pus  for  the  never- failing  spring  Pi  re'ne,  on 
the  citadel  of  Corinth,  in  return  for  which  he 
was  to  give  the  river-god  information  about  his 
daughter,  stolen  by  Zeus.  In  punishment  for  this 
interference  with  his  plans,  Zeus  sent  Death  to 
take  Sisyphus.  Death  himself,  outwitted  by  the 
shrewd  Corinthian,  was  caught,  and  while  he 
was  kept  in  chains,  no  one  on  earth  could  die. 
This  state  of  things  could  not  be  allowed,  and 
Ares  succeeded  in  freeing  Death  and  even  in  giv- 
ing Sisyphus  over  to  him.  Before  he  was  haled 
off  to  the  lower  world,  however,  the  king  exacted 
in  secret  a  promise  from  his  wife  that  she  would 
offer  no  funeral  sacrifices.  When  Pluto  com- 
plained bitterly  of  this  neglect,  Sisyphus,  feigning 
righteous  indignation,  offered  to  see  that  his  wife 
did  the  proper  thing,  if  for  the  purpose  he  was 
allowed  to  return  to  the  upper  air.  Permission 
was  given,  and  once  outside  the  gates  of  Hades 
the  wily  king  refused  to  return,  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age  and  at  last  died  a  natural  death.  But 


Stories  of  Corinth  237 

no  one  may  cheat  the  gods  and  escape  punishment, 
however  clever  he  may  be.  In  Hades  Sisyphus 
was  condemned  eternally  to  roll  a  weighty  stone 
up  a  hill,  which  ever,  as  it  reached  the  top,  rolled 
down  again. 

Sisyphus'  grandson  Bel  ler'o  phon  was  of  very 
different  mold.  In  his  youth  he  was  forced  into 
exile  because  he  had  unintentionally  killed  a  man. 
Hoping  to  be  purified  he  went  to  Tiryns,  and  here 
the  wife  of  King  Proe'tus  fell  in  love  with  him, 
and  when  he  would  not  respond  to  her  love, 


Fig.  75.    Chimaera. 

falsely  accused  him  to  her  husband.  Fearing  di- 
vine anger  if  he  himself  killed  a  guest,  Prcetus 
sent  him  to  the  king  of  Lycia,  and  with  him  a 
secret  message  asking  to  have  him  slain.  The 
king  of  Lycia  at  first  treated  Bellerophon  with 
generous  hospitality,  but  when  he  had  read  the 
message  he  sent  him  off  on  the  dangerous  ad- 


238    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

venture  of  killing  the  Chi  mae'ra.  This  beast  had 
the  fore  part  of  a  lion,  the  hinder  part  of  a 
dragon,  and  in  the  middle  the  head  of  a  goat, 
and  breathed  out  fire  from  her  nostrils.  A  seer 
consulted  by  Bellerophon  told  him  that  his  suc- 
cess depended  upon  his  catching  and  taming  the 
winged  horse  Peg/a  sus,  and  advised  him  to  pass 
a  night  beside  Athena's  altar  that  he  might  secure 
the  goddess'  help.  Pegasus  was  the  offspring  of 
Poseidon  by  Medusa,  from  whose  neck  he  had 
sprung  when  Perseus  cut  off  her  head.  Athena 
had  given  him  to  the  Muses,  and  he  had  opened 
for  them  by  a  blow  of  his  hoof  the  sacred  spring 
of  Hip  po  cre'ne  on  Mt.  Hel'i  con.  While  Bel- 
lerophon slept  by  her  altar,  Athena  appeared  to 
him  and  put  into  his  hand  a  golden  bridle,  with 
which  he  easily  caught  Pegasus  while  he  was 
drinking  at  the  spring  of  Pirene.  Mounted  on 
the  winged  horse  he  flew  down  from  above  and 
killed  the  terrible  Chirmera.  The  Lycian  king 
sent  him  on  other  dangerous  adventures  and  at 
last  set  an  ambush  to  kill  him.  But  when  Bel- 
lerophon came  out  safe  and  victorious  from  all, 
the  king,  seeing  that  he  was  favored  by  the  gods, 
gave  him  his  daughter  in  marriage  and  half  his 
kingdom  as  dowry.  In  time  Bellerophon  became 
so  elated  by  his  achievements  that  he  challenged 
the  immortal  gods  themselves,  for  he  attempted 
to  fly  to  Zeus's  very  dwelling  on  the  winged 
horse.  Zeus  hurled  a  thunderbolt,  and  Bellero- 


Fig.  76.     Bellerophon  and  Pegasus. 


Stories  of  ^Etolia  241 

phon  fell  to  earth  maimed  and  blinded  —  an  ex- 
ample to  the  proud  not  to  attempt  flying  too  high. 
Pegasus  came  to  the  dwelling  of  Zeus  and  was 
given  the  honor  of  drawing  the  thunder-chariot. 

IV.    THE    CALYDONIAN    BOAR    HUNT 

During  the  time  when  the  god-descended  he- 
roes lived  in  Greece,  several  joint  expeditions  were 
undertaken  by  them.  One  of  these  was  the  Caly- 
donian  boar  hunt.  Calydon  was  a  town  of  yEto- 
lia  ruled  over  by  (Eneus,  who  was  the  first  man 
of  that  part  of  Greece  to  learn  of  Dionysus  the 
culture  of  the  vine.  He  was  married  to  Al  the'a, 
who  bore  to  him  a  son  Mel  e  a'ger.  When  the 
boy  was  seven  days  old,  the  Fates  told  Althea 
that  he  would  die  when  the  log  that  was  then 
burning  on  the  hearth  should  be  consumed. 
Hearing  this  Althea  quenched  the  brand  and  put 
it  away  in  a  box. 

When  Meleager  had  grown  to  be  a  young  man, 
one  harvest  time  his  father  (Eneus,  offering  sacri- 
fice of  the  first-fruits  to  all  the  other  gods,  passed 
over  Artemis  alone.  In  anger  at  this  neglect 
the  goddess  sent  into  his  country  a  great  and 
ferocious  boar,  which  laid  waste  all  the  country 
around.  Meleager  summoned  the  heroes  from 
all  parts  of  Greece,  promising  to  him  who  killed 
the  boar  its  hide  as  a  gift  of  honor.  It  was  a 
very  distinguished  company  that  assembled  for 
the  hunt:  Castor  and  Polydeuces,  from  Lacedae- 


242     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

mon,  Theseus,  from  Athens,  and  his  friend 
Pi  rith'o  us,  Jason,  later  the  leader  of  the  Argo- 
nauts, Am  phi  a  ra'us  of  Argos,  and  many  other 
famous  heroes.  When  the  huntress  At  a  lan'ta, 


Fig.  77.     Meleager. 

daughter  of  the  king  of  Arcadia,  joined  their 
number,  many  were  indignant  that  they  should 
be  expected  to  share  the  danger  and  glory  of  the 
enterprise  with  any  woman,  however  strong,  but 


Stories  of  ^Etolia  243 

Meleager  loved  Atalanta  and  insisted  upon  her 
being  received. 

(Eneus  entertained  the  company  for  nine  days, 
and  on  the  tenth  they  started  the  hunt.  Three 
of  the  number  lost  their  lives  before  any  one  had 
even  wounded  the  beast,  and  Atalanta  was  the 
first  to  strike  him,  shooting  an  arrow  into  his 
back.  Then  Amphiaraiis  shot  him  in  the  eye, 
but  it  was  Meleager  who  finally  despatched  him, 
piercing  between  his  ribs.  The  hide,  which  be- 
longed to  him  by  right,  he  gave  to  Atalanta. 
This  mightily  enraged  some  of  the  hunters,  for 
they  thought  it  unworthy  that  a  woman  should 
go  off  with  the  prize  of  honor  for  which  so  many 
men  had  striven ;  therefore  the  two  uncles  of  Mel- 
eager lay  in  wait  for  the  maiden  and  took  away 
the  hide,  declaring  that  it  belonged  to  them  if 
Meleager  did  not  choose  to  keep  it.  Meleager 
killed  his  uncles  and  restored  the  hide  to  Atalanta. 
When  the  news  of  her  brothers'  murder  at  the 
hands  of  her  son  came  to  Althea's  ears,  she  seized 
the  brand  from  its  box  and  threw  it  on  the  fire. 
As  it  consumed  the  vital  strength  left  Meleager's 
body,  and  as  it  fell  in  ashes  the  spark  of  his  life 
went  out.  Althea  too  late  repented  of  her  act 
of  vengeance  and  took  her  own  life.  The  weep- 
ing women  about  her  were  changed  into  birds. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
STORIES  OF  ATTICA 

cecrops.  THE  Athenians  were  proud  in  their  belief  that 
their  early  kings  were  not,  as  were  those  of  other 
Greek  states,  foreigners  who  had  come  to  their 
shores,  but  true  sons  of  Attica,  born  of  its  soil. 
The  first  king,  Cecrops,  who  had  been  witness 
to  Athena's  victory  in  her  contest  with  Poseidon 
for  the  city,  was  born,  half  man,  half  serpent, 
from  the  earth. 

Erectheus.  Another  earthborn  king  was  E  rec'theus,34 
whose  form  was  wholly  that  of  a  serpent.  At 
his  birth  Athena  took  him  under  her  protection, 
and  gave  him  in  a  basket  into  the  care  of  the 
three  daughters  of  Cecrops,  enjoining  them,  un- 
der pain  of  her  displeasure,  not  to  seek  to  know 
what  the  basket  contained.  Curiosity  was  too 
strong  for  them,  and  when  they  saw  the  serpent 
lying  in  the  basket,  they  were  driven  mad  and 
leaped  to  death  off  the  rock  of  the  Acropolis. 
Athena  then  brought  Erectheus  up  in  her  own 
temple  and  made  him  king  of  Athens.  It  was 
he  that  set  up  the  sacred  wooden  image  of  the 

34  The  earthborn  serpent  was  called  by  some  Erecthonius, 
and  his  grandson,  Erectheus. 
244 


Stories  of  Attica  245 

goddess  in  her  temple  and  instituted  the  Pan- 
athenaic  Festival  in  her  honor.  At  his  death  he 
was  buried  in  the  temple  precinct  and  was  after- 
wards worshiped  with  Athena  in  the  Erectheum. 

O  ri  thy'ia,  one  of  the  daughters  of  Erectheus,   onthyia  and 

Boreas. 

was  wooed  by  Bo're  as,  the  northeast  wind,  but 
rejected  his  advances.  One  day  he  came  upon 
her  as  she  was  carrying  sacrifices  for  Athena  on 
the  Acropolis  and  bore  her  off  to  his  wild  north- 
ern kingdom  of  Thrace.  Boreas  still  conscious 
of  his  kinship  to  the  Athenians,  served  the  Greeks 
well  at  the  time  of  the  battle  of  Thermopylae, 
when  the  Persian  fleet  was  threatening  the  whole 
coast.  The  Delphic  oracle  ordered  the  Athenians 
to  call  upon  their  son-in-law  for  help,  whereupon 
they  prayed  to  Boreas,  who  answered  by  shatter- 
ing the  Persian  ships  at  Artemisium. 

Another  daughter  of  Erectheus  was   Procris,  cephaius  and 

Procris. 

who  was  married  to  a  young  hunter  named 
Ceph'a  lus.  Aurora,  goddess  of  the  dawn,  loved 
Cephaius  and  stole  him  away,  leaving  Procris 
inconsolable.  In  her  loneliness  she  took  to  hunt- 
ing with  Artemis,  from  whom  she  received  a  dog 
that  never  grew  tired  and  a  javelin  that  never 
missed  its  mark.  As  Aurora  could  not  make 
Cephaius  forget  his  love  for  his  wife,  she  finally 
sent  him  back,  and  he  joyfully  returned  to  his 
life  as  a  hunter,  receiving  from  his  wife  the  won- 
derful dog  and  javelin.  Unfortunately  Procris, 
being  of  a  jealous  disposition  and  suspecting  her 


246    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

husband  of  a  love  affair  with  Aura,  the  morning 
breeze,  one  day  concealed  herself  in  the  bushes 
to  spy  on  them.  Cephalus,  hearing  a  rustling  in 
the  underbrush,  thought  it  some  wild  beast, 
hurled  his  unerring  javelin,  and  killed  his  wife. 


irocne   and 
Philomela. 


Fig.  78.     Cephalus  and   the   Dawn-Goddess. 

Procne  and  Phil  o  me'la  were  the  daughters 
of  another  early  king  of  Athens.  The  Thracian 
king  Tereus  had  married  Procne,  but  afterwards 
he  fell  in  love  with  the  sister,  Philomela,  and 
persuaded  her  to  marry  him  by  telling  her  that 
Procne  was  dead.  To  conceal  this  deed  from  his 


Stories  of  Attica  247 

wife  he  cut  out  Philomela's  tongue  and  impris- 
oned her  in  a  hut  in  the  woods.  But  she  wove 
her  story  into  the  web  of  a  robe  and  contrived 
to  send  it  to  her  sister.  At  an  opportunity  of- 
fered by  the  celebration  of  the  festival  of  Diony- 
sus, Procne  visited  the  lonely  hut  and  brought 
Philomela  in  disguise  to  her  palace.  The  two 
sisters  then  wreaked  on  the  faithless  Tereus  a 
horrible  vengeance,  for  Procne  killed  her  son 
It'y  lus  and  served  him  up  to  his  father  at  a 
feast.  When  Tereus  pursued  the  murderesses 
and  was  about  to  kill  them,  the  gods  transformed 
the  three  into  birds,  Tereus  into  a  tufted  hoo-poe, 
Procne  into  a  swallow,  and  Philomela  into  the 
nightingale  who  still  pours  out  her  mournful 
notes,  grieving  over  the  slaying  of  the  boy 
Itylus.35 

As  Heracles  was  the  great  hero  of  the  Pelopon-  Theseus, 
nesus,  who  freed  all  the  country  around  from 
danger,  so  Theseus  was  the  hero  of  Attica,  who 
cleared  the  roads  of  giants  and  robbers  and  gave 
liberty  and  unity  to  the  city  of  Athens.  There 
was  a  question  about  his  birth;  some  said  that 
his  father  was  Poseidon,  and  alleged  as  a  proof 
of  this  that  once  when  King  Minos,  to  try  the 
hero's  divine  birth,  threw  a  ring  into  the  sea, 
Theseus,  diving  in  after  it,  returned  with  the 
ring  and  a  golden  crown  given  him  by  Amphi- 

35  Some    identify    Procne    with    the    nightingale    and 
Philomela   with   the    swallow. 


248    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

trite.  It  was  more  generally  supposed,  however, 
that  his  father  was  ^Egeus,  the  king  of  Athens, 
and  his  mother  yEthra,  daughter  of  the  king  of 
Trcezen.  Before  his  son  was  born,  y£geus  left 
^Ethra  at  Troezen,  after  placing  his  sword  and 
sandals  under  a  great  rock  with  the  instructions 
that  the  boy,  so  soon  as  he  was  strong  enough 
to  lift  the  stone  and  get  them  from  under  it, 
should  be  sent  to  Athens. 
Theseus  frees  Theseus  grew  up  clever  and  courageous,  and 

the  roads  of 

*iants.  tall  and  strong  as  well,  so  that  at  sixteen  he  easily 

lifted  the  stone  and  joyfully  set  out  for  Athens. 
His  mother  and  grandfather  urged  him  to  go  by 
sea,  for  it  was  a  short  and  comparatively  safe 
voyage,  but,  wishing  to  emulate  Heracles,  he  pre- 
ferred the  perilous  journey  by  land.  On  his  way 
he  met  with  six  great  adventures.  First  he  came 
upon  the  giant  Per  i  pha'tes,  a  son  of  Hephaestus, 
who  brained  all  travelers  with  his  iron  club. 
Theseus  overcame  him  and  took  his  club.  Next 
he  met  Sinis,  who  compelled  every  passer-by  to 
help  him  bend  down  a  tall  pine  tree  and  then, 
fastening  the  unfortunate  by  the  head  to  the  top 
of  the  tree,  let  it  go  suddenly.  This  fate  Theseus 
inflicted  on  the  giant  himself.  He  killed  a  great 
sow  that  ravaged  the  country;  some  say  this  sow 
was  really  a  woman  whose  foul  manners  earned 
her  this  name.  His  fourtl  ^venture  was  with 
Sciron,  a  giant  who  kept  watch  on  a  narrow  pass 
where  the  cliff  falls  abruptly  into  the  sea.  This 


Stories  of  Attica  249 

giant  forced  all  travelers  to  wash  his  feet,  and 
when  they  knelt  down  to  do  so  he  gave  them  a 
kick  that  sent  them  into  the  waters  below,  where 
an  enormous  turtle  swallowed  them.  Theseus 
gave  the  turtle  a  final  feast  on  the  giant  himself. 
The  next  giant  he  met  he  overthrew  in  a  wrestling 
match.  Last  of  all  he  overcame  Pro  crus'tes, 
who  pressed  upon  strangers  the  hospitality  of  his 
iron  bed;  but  if  they  were  too  long,  he  cut  them 
off,  and  if  they  were  too  short,  he  stretched  them 
out  to  fit  the  bed. 

When  he  had  reached  Athens  and  had  purified  Theseus  meet* 
himself  in  the  river  of  all  this  slaughter,  he  en-  ] 
tered  the  city.  His  long  hair  and  his  foreign 
appearance  exciting  the  laughter  of  some  build- 
ers, he  took  a  cart  that  contained  huge  building 
blocks  and  tossed  it  lightly  over  the  roof  of  a 
house.  At  the  palace,  although  he  did  not  dis- 
close his  identity,  his  father's  new  wife,  the 
sorceress  Me  de'a  (see  p.  279),  recognized  him 
and  plotted  his  death.  She  persuaded  /Egeus  to 
invite  him  to  a  feast  and  offer  him  a  cup  of 
poisoned  wine.  As  they  feasted,  however,  The- 
seus drew  his  sword  to  cut  a  piece  of  meat,  and 
his  father,  instantly  recognizing  the  weapon, 
dashed  the  poisoned  cup  to  the  floor  and  sprang 
to  embrace  his  son.  In  a  rage  of  disappointed 
hate,  Medea  called  her  dragon-drawn  chariot  and 
flew  away,  ^geus  now  proclaimed  Theseus  as 
his  heir. 


250    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Theseus  kills        But  the  hero,  thirsting  for  glory  and  adven- 

tbe  Minotaur.  J 

tnre,  first  went  to  Marathon,  where  he  captured 
the  bull  that  Heracles  had  brought  from  Crete, 
and  then,  when  the  time  came  around  for  seven 
young  men  and  seven  maidens  to  be  sent  as  a 
tribute  from  Athens  to  King  Minos  of  Crete  (see 
p.  233),  he  offered  himself  as  one  of  their  num- 
ber, hoping  to  win  their  return.  The  tribute  had 
come  about  in  this  way.  King  Minos'  son  had 
been  killed  by  the  Athenians,  and  Minos  had  be- 
sieged the  city.  The  Athenians  might  have  stood 
out  against  him  and  his  army,  but  the  gods  sent  a 
famine  and  pestilence  upon  them,  and  the  oracle 
declared  that  the  divine  displeasure  would  not 
be  appeased  until  they  should  accept  whatever 
terms  Minos  offered.  He  demanded  that  every 
year  seven  boys  and  seven  girls  should  be  sent 
to  Crete  to  be  given  to  the  Minotaur.  When  the 
ship  bearing  Theseus  and  the  thirteen  other  vic- 
tims started  out,  it  was  equipped  with  a  black 
sail,  but  Theseus  promised  his  father  that  should 
he  succeed  in  his  adventure  and  kill  the  Minotaur, 
on  the  return  voyage  he  would  change  the  black 
sail  for  a  white  one.  On  their  arrival  in  Crete 
King  Minos'  daughter  A  ri  ad'ne  fell  in  love  with 
the  hero  at  first  sight  and  secretly  gave  him  a 
ball  of  string  to  enable  him  to  thread  the  mazes ' 
of  the  Labyrinth,  and  a  sword  to  kill  the  Mino- 
taur. Having  succeeded  by  this  means  in  his 
difficult  adventure,  Theseus  set  sail  for  home, 


Stories  of  Attica 


251 


carrying  with  him  on  his  ship  his  benefactress 
Ariadne.  On  the  island  of  Naxos,  however,  he 
deserted  his  bride  while  she  slept, —  some  say 
because  he  loved  some  one  else  and  wanted  to 
get  rid  of  her,  others,  because  he  was  warned  to 
leave  her  there  to  become  the  wife  of  Dionysus. 
Perhaps  it  was  in  requital  of  his  faithlessness  to 


Fig.  79.     Theseus  killing  the  Minotaur. 

Ariadne  that  the  gods  made  him  forget  his 
promise  to  raise  a  white  sail  if  he  returned  suc- 
cessful. For  ^geus,  having  watched  long  from 
a  high  rock  for  the  returning  ship,  thinking,  when 
he  saw  the  black  sail,  that  his  son  was  dead,  threw 
himself  from  the  rock  and  was  killed. 

Theseus  was  recognized  as  king,  and  imme-  j"Le8eus  as 
diately  set  about  instituting  reforms.     He  gave  Ath<»8- 


252    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

up  his  absolute  royal  power,  and  after  uniting 
in  one  state  all  the  divisions  of  Attica,  he  made 
of  it  a  free  self-governing  commonwealth.  After 
this  he  started  out  again  on  a  career  of  adven- 


Fig.  80.    Theseus  and  the  rescued  Athenians. 

ture.  Like  Heracles  he  went  to  the  Amazon?' 
country  and  from  there  carried  off  their  queei: 
An  ti'o  pe.  To  recover  her  the  Amazons  be- 
sieged Athens,  though  Antiope  herself  had  fallen 


Stories  of  Attica 


253 


so  in  love  with  Theseus  that  she  fought  by  his 
side  against  her  own  people.  The  Amazons  were 
driven  off,  but  the  queen  was  killed. 

Pi  rith'o  us.  king  of  the  Lapiths,  having  heard   The  battle  of 

the    Lapiths 

the  fame  of  Theseus  and,  wishing  to  make  trial  and  centaurs, 
of  him,  drove  off  some  of  his  cattle.  Theseus 
pursued  him,  but  when  they  had  come  near  to  one 
another,  each  was  so  filled  with  admiration  of 
the  other's  noble  bearing  and  courage  that  by 
mutual  consent  they  gave  up  all  thought  of  fight- 


Fig.  81.    Centaur  and  Lapith. 

ing  and  swore  an  oath  of  friendship.  Soon  after 
this  Pirithous  celebrated  his  wedding  and  invited 
Theseus  to  attend.  The  Centaurs,  who  were  also 
guests,  becoming  inflamed  with  wine,  attempted 
to  steal  the  bride.  In  the  battle  that  followed 
Theseus  fought  bravely  by  the  side  of  his  friend 
Pirithous  and  the  Centaurs  were  driven  off. 


254 


The  theft  of          The  two   f riends  were  now  fired  by  the  am- 

Helen  and 

p«rsephone.  bition  each  to  have  a  divine  wife;  Theseus,  there- 
fore, carried  off  Helen,  the  beautiful  daughter 
of  Zeus  and  Leda.  As  she  was  not  yet  of  mar- 
riageable age,  he  left  her  under  the  care  of  his 
mother,  and  before  he  returned  to  claim  her,  her 
two  brothers,  Castor  and  Polydeuces,  rescued  her 
and  took  her  back  to  Sparta.  Pirithoiis'  attempt 
was  yet  more  daring,  for  he  induced  Theseus  to 
help  him  carry  off  Pluto's  wife,  Persephone. 
Not  even  Theseus  was  strong  enough  for  this  ad- 
venture, and  the  two  heroes  were  caught  and 
chained  in  the  lower  world.  Theseus'  adventures 
might  have  ended  here  had  not  the  mighty  Hera- 
cles, in  his  quest  for  Cerberus,  found  and  freed 
him.  On  his  return  to  Athens  he  found  that 
his  people  had  turned  against  him  and  accepted 
another  as  king.  He  therefore  retired  to  the 
island  of  Scyros,  and  there  met  his  death  by  be- 
ing thrown  from  a  cliff. 

The  Theseum.  The  Athenians  said  that  at  the  battle  of  Mara- 
thon a  glorious  hero,  whom  they  recognized  as 
Theseus,  appeared  amongst  them  in  full  armor 
and  led  them  on  to  victory,  and  after  the  war 
the  oracle  commanded  that  Theseus'  bones  should 
be  brought  from  Scyros  and  given  honorable 
burial  at  Athens.  The  Athenian  leader  Cimon 
carried  out  this  command,  and  having  brought 
the  hero's  remains  home  amid  great  rejoicings, 
interred  them  in  the  middle  of  the  city  and  erected 


Stories  of  Attica  255 

a  temple  in  his  honor.  The  wonderfully  pre- 
served temple  in  Athens  called  the  Theseum  is, 
unfortunately,  probably  misnamed,  and  the  true 
shrine  of  Theseus  has  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XV 


Cadmus' 
search   for 
Europa. 


The   founding 
of  Tbebes. 


STORIES  OF  THEBES 

WHEN  Europa  had  been  carried  off  to  Crete 
by  Zeus  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful  white  bull, 
her  father  A  ge'nor  had  ordered  his  sons  to  go 
out  in  search  of  their  sister  and  not  to  return 
unless  they  found  her.  Cadmus,  one  of  the  sons, 
therefore,  set  out  from  Phoenicia  and  wandered 
for  many  years  through  the  islands  and  coasts 
of  the  sea,  until  at  last,  despairing  of  success, 
he  came  to  Delphi  to  consult  the  oracle.  Apollo 
told  him  that  the  search  was  quite  vain  and  com- 
manded him  to  follow  a  cow  who  would  lead 
him  to  the  spot  where  he  was  destined  to  found 
a  new  city.  Hardly  had  Cadmus  left  the  oracle 
when  the  cow  appeared  and  going  before  him 
into  Bceotia  lay  down  near  the  place  where  later 
stood  the  citadel  of  Thebes. 

Wishing  to  make  a  sacrifice  to  his  patron  god- 
dess Athena,  Cadmus  sent  his  men  to  the  spring 
of  Ares,  close  at  hand,  to  fetch  water  for  the 
purification.  The  spring  was  guarded  by  a  ter- 
rible dragon,  himself  a  son  of  Ares,  and  no  one 
of  Cadmus'  men  returned  to  tell  the  tale.  Puz- 
zled at  the  long  delay,  Cadmus  went  himself  to 
256 


Stories  of  Thebes 


257 


the  spring.  There  lay  the  bloody  and  mangled 
bodies  of  his  companions,  and  over  them  threat- 
ened the  huge  triple  jaws  and  three-forked 


Fig.  82.    Cadmus  and  the  Dragon. 

tongues  of  the  dragon.  At  the  bidding  of 
Athena  Cadmus  killed  the  beast  with  a  stone  and 
sowed  in  the  ground  its  huge  teeth,  from  which 
sprang  up  a  crop  of  armed  men  of  more  than 


258    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

human  size  and  strength.  Still  at  Athena's  bid- 
ding, Cadmus  threw  a  stone  into  their  midst, 
whereupon  they  turned  their  weapons  upon  one 
another  and  fought  on  fiercely  until  only  five 
were  left.  These  five  made  peace  with  one  an- 
other and  with  Cadmus  and  became  under  him  the 
founders  of  the  five  great  Theban  families. 

To  atone  for  the  blood  of  Ares'  sacred  dragon 
slain  by  his  hand,  Cadmus  had  to  serve  the  god 
for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  this  time  Athena 
made  him  king  of  the  new  city  he  had  founded, 
and  Zeus  gave  him  as  wife  Harmo'nia,  the 
daughter  of  Ares  and  Aphrodite.  All  the  gods 
came  down  from  Olympus  to  honor  the  wedding, 
and  the  Muses,  led  by  Apollo,  sang  the  marriage 
hymn.  Cadmus  gave  to  his  bride  a  marvelous 
necklace;  some  say  it  was  made  for  him  by  He- 
phaestus, and  others  that  he  received  it  from 
Europa,  to  whom  it  had  been  given  by  Zeus. 
Whatever  was  its  origin,  Harmonia's  necklace 
always  brought  disaster  to  its  owner ;  indeed,  not- 
withstanding the  splendor  of  his  marriage,  an  ill 
fate  pursued  Cadmus.  Hoping  to  avoid  his  des- 
tiny, he  left  his  city  and  settled  in  Illyria,  but 
even  there  the  resentment  of  Ares  pursued  him. 
At  last,  quite  discouraged,  he  declared  in  bitter- 
ness that,  since  a  serpent  was  so  cherished  and 
so  faithfully  avenged  by  the  gods,  he  wished  that 
he  might  be  one.  Immediately  his  wish  was 
granted  and  Harmonia  shared  his  fate.  The 


Stories  of  Thebes  259 

tombs  of  the  hero  and  his  wife  were  set  up  in  the 
land  of  their  exile  and  were  guarded  by  their 
geniuses  in  the  forms  of  serpents.  Cadmus  is 
credited  with  having  introduced  the  alphabet  into 
Greece  from  Phoenicia. 

The  evil  fate  of  Cadmus  pursued  his  descend-   The  des- 

cendants  of 

ants.  One  of  his  four  daughters  was  Sem'e  le,  cadmus. 
the  mother  of  Bacchus,  who,  as  was  told  in  the 
account  of  that  god  (see  p.  165),  was  burned  to 
ashes  by  the  brightness  of  her  lover  Zeus.  An- 
other was  the  mother  of  that  unfortunate  Actaeon 
who  was  torn  to  pieces  by  his  own  dogs.  ( See  p. 
85.)  A  third  became  a  votary  of  Bacchus  and 
in  her  madness  tore  to  pieces  her  own  son  Pen- 
theus.  (See  p.  168.)  The  fourth  inflicted  and 
suffered  terrible  woes  through  Hera's  anger  at 
her  for  taking  care  of  Semele's  child  Bacchus. 

The  curse  laid  upon  the  family  of  Cadmus  <Edipus. 
passed  over  his  one  son  and  that  son's  son,  but 
fell  with  redoubled  force  in  the  next  generation 
upon  the  family  of  La'i  us.  It  was  in  defiance 
of  the  warning  of  the  gods  that  Lams  married 
his  cousin  Jo  cas'ta,  for  an  oracle  had  pronounced 
that  he  was  destined  to  meet  his  death  at  the 
hands  of  a  son  born  of  that  union.  In  order  to 
avoid  this  danger  he  commanded  that  the  baby 
born  to  his  wife  should  at  once  be  put  to  death. 
The  duty  was  entrusted  to  a  shepherd,  who,  how- 
ever, being  tender-hearted,  could  not  bear  to  take 
the  infant's  life,  but  after  piercing  his  feet  and 


260    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

binding  them  with  thongs,  intended  to  leave  him 
to  his  fate  on  Mt.  Cithseron.  It  happened  that 
a  shepherd  of  the<king  of  Corinth,  who  was  pas- 
turing his  flocks  on  the  mountains,  received  the 
poor  maimed  infant  and  took  him  to  his  king  and 
queen.  As  they  were  childless,  the  royal  couple 
gladly  adopted  him  and  brought  him  up  as  their 
own  son. 

The  prophecy.  The  boy,  called  CEdipus  or  Swollen-Foot,  grew 
up  in  the  belief  that  he  was  the  real  son  and 
rightful  heir  of  the  king  of  Corinth,  but  a  cer- 
tain insulting  hint  that  he  once  received  with 
regard  to  his  birth  troubled  him  enough  to  send 
him  to  Apollo's  oracle  at  Delphi  to  ask  the  truth. 
He  received  no  direct  answer  to  his  question,  but 
was  told  that  he  was  destined  to  kill  his  father 
and  marry  his  mother.  Horrified  by  this  proph- 
ecy, he  turned  his  back  on  Corinth,  resolved  never 
to  return  while  his  supposed  parents  lived. 

Fulfilment  of  As  he  hurried  along  the  steep  mountain  path 
leading  away  from  Delphi,  he  met  a  chariot  com- 
ing from  the  direction  of  Thebes.  The  charioteer 
somewhat  arrogantly  ordered  him- out  of  the  way, 
and  CEdipus,  accustomed  to  being  treated  as  a 
prince  and  being,  besides,  deeply  troubled  over 
the  tragic  prophecy,  violently  resented  the  order 
and  provoked  a  blow  from  the  master  of  the 
chariot.  In  a  passion  of  rage  CEdipus  drew  his 
sword  and  killed  both  master  and  charioteer. 
The  old  man  was  King  Laius.  On  his  arrival 


Stories  of  Thebes  261 

at  Thebes  QEdipus  found  the  city  in  great  tribu- 
lation over  the  destruction  caused  by  a  mysterious 
being  with  the  body  of  a  lion,  the  head  of  a 
woman,  and  the  wings  of  a  bird.  This  creature, 
the  Sphinx,  had  seated  herself  above  the  road 
and  asked  all  passers-by  the  following  riddle: 


Fig.  83.     CEdipus  and  the  Sphinx. 

"  What  is  it  that,  though  it  has  one  voice,  is  four- 
footed,  and  two-footed,  and  three-footed?" 
Those  who  could  not  answer  the  riddle  the  Sphinx 
killed,  and  a  great  pile  of  whitening  bones  lay 
about  her.  But  CEdipus  was  not  daunted  by  the 
fate  of  those  others  who  had  gone  before,  and 
when  the  question  was  put  to  him  he  answered : 


262    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

"  It  is  man,  since  in  his  babyhood  he  goes  on 
hands  and  knees,  in  his  manhood  he  walks  up- 
right, and  when  old  supports  himself  with  a 
cane."  In  chagrin  at  being  answered  the  Sphinx 
threw  herself  over  the  cliff,  and  thus  the  city  was 
freed.  The  Thebans  honored  the  stranger  who 
had  come  to  their  relief  in  every  way,  and  even 
made  him  their  king  and  gave  him  as  wife  the 
widowed  queen.  Jocasta  bore  to  him  four  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  for  a  long 
time  he  lived  in  peace  and  prosperity,  loved  and 
honored  by  all  his  grateful  people. 
The  prophecy  But  at  last  the  day  of  retribution  came,  and 

made  clear.  .  ••    «'  -i  r  i 

a  blight  and  pestilence  fell  upon  the  city,  so  that 
the  fields  yielded  no  grain,  and  men  and  beasts 
died.  To  the  ambassadors  sent  to  Delphi  to 
learn  the  cause  the  answer  was  returned  that  not 
until  the  city  was  purged  of  the  murderer  of 
King  Lams  would  the  curse  be  removed.  CEdi- 
pus  had  never  suspected  that  the  old  man  he  had 
killed  on  the  road  from  Delphi  was  the  Theban 
king,  and  the  truth  was  the  less  likely  to  come  to 
him  since  the  sole  attendant  of  the  murdered 
king  who  had  escaped  had  told  a  big  story  of 
a  robber  band  that  had  attacked  them  on  the 
road.  (Edipus,  therefore,  proclaimed  that  who- 
soever knew  anything  of  the  men  who  had  done 
this  deed  should  declare  it,  and  that  the  guilty 
ones  should  be  put  to  death  or  driven  into  ban- 
ishment. A  blind  seer  who  was  brought  to  tes- 


Stories  of  Thebes  263 

tify  before  the  king  at  first  refused  to  speak,  and 
when,  goaded  by  a  charge  of  treachery,  he  de- 
clared, "Thou  art  the  man  who  has  brought 
pollution  upon  this  land !  "  CEdipus  turned  upon 
him  in  furious  disbelief.  Only  when  he  learned 
the  time  and  place  of  the  murder  and  the  age 
and  appearance  of  the  murdered  man,  was  he 
convinced  of  his  own  guilt,  and  with  this  con- 
viction came  a  yet  more  bitter  discovery.  For 
through  the  testimony  of  the  Theban  and  Corin- 
thian shepherds  who  had  been  concerned  in  his 
exposure  and  his  adoption  as  an  infant  he  learned 
that  he  was  the  son  of  Lai'us  whom  he  had  killed 
and  the  husband  of  his  own  mother.  The  terrible 
truth  had  already  broken  upon  Jocasta,  and  she 
had  gone  into  the  private  chambers  of  the  palace 
and  hung  herself.  With  the  pin  of  her  brooch 
her  wretched  husband  put  out  both  his  eyes, 
that  he  might  never  look  upon  the  holy  sun 
again. 

Jocasta's  brother  Creon  took  the  throne,  and  osdipus 
blind  CEdipus,  led  by  his  heroic  and  faithful 
daughter  An  tig'o  ne,  went  into  exile.  His  end 
was  mysterious.  At  Athens,  under  the  noble 
king  Theseus,  he  found  refuge  and  protection, 
but  with  prophetic  knowledge  of  what  his  fate 
was  to  be,  he  sought  the  sacred  grove  of  the 
Furies  at  Co  lo'nus,  close  to  Athens,  and  there 
amid  thunder  and  strange  portents  he  disappeared 
from  the  sight  of  men. 


264    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  seven       The  curse  that  rested  on  the  family  was  not 

against 

Thebes.  lifted  by  CEdipus'  death.  His  two  sons,  E  te'o- 
cles  and  Pol  y  ni'ces,  who  had  deserted  their  fa- 
ther in  his  old  age  and  blindness  and  by  him  had 
been  cursed  for  this  faithlessness,  quarreled  about 
the  throne,  and  Eteocles  drove  his  brother  from 
the  kingdom.  Polynices,  therefore,  went  to 
Argos  and  persuaded  the  king  A  dras'tus,  to 
champion  his  cause.  An  army  was  gathered,  and 
seven  great  chiefs  were  found  to  undertake  the 
expedition  against  seven-gated  Thebes.  The  seer 
Am  phi  a  ra'us  went  unwillingly,  for  he  knew  that 
the  war  was  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  gods,  and 
that  from  it  he  should  never  return  alive.  But 
when  he  married  it  had  been  agreed  that  if  any 
difference  should  arise  between  him  and  his 
brother-in-law  Adrastus,  his  wife  E  ri'phy  le 
should  be  the  judge.  Polynices,  therefore,  bribed 
her  with  Harmonia's  necklace,  and  she  treacher- 
ously sent  her  husband  to  the  war.  Of  the  seven 
heroes  Adrastus  alone  returned  alive.  The 
brothers,  Eteocles  and  Polynices,  meeting  in  sin- 
gle combat,  died  at  one  another's  hands,  thus 
fulfilling  the  curse  with  which  CEdipus  had  cursed 
them  when  they  had  deserted  him  in  his  day  of 
trouble  and  exile. 

Antigone's       Eteocles  was  buried  by  Creon  and  the  Thebans 

sacrifice.  * 

with  all  due  honor,  but  it  was  decreed  that  the 
body  of  Polynices,  as  that  of  a  traitor,  should 
be  left  for  the  dogs  and  vultures  to  devour.  An- 


Stories  of  Thebes  265 

tigone,  loyal  to  her  brother  as  she  had  been  to 
her  father,  at  the  risk  of  her  life  and  in  spite  of 
the  dissuasion  of  her  weaker  sister  Is  me'ne,  gave 
the  body  the  last  rites  of  burial,  without  which 
the  shade  must  wander  hopeless  on  the  banks  of 
Acheron.  In  punishment  she  was  buried  alive, 
and  her  lover,  Creon's  son,  killed  himself  upon 
her  tomb.  With  Antigone's  act  of  self-sacrifice 
and  dreadful  death  the  long  tragedy  of  the  family 
of  Cadmus  came  to  an  end. 

In   the   next   generation   the   city   of    Thebes   The  ^_ 
finally  fell  before  the  seven  sons  of  the  original 
Seven,  and  the  son  of  Polynices  was  established 
on  the  throne.     This  war  is  known  as  the  war  of 
the  Ep  ig'o  ni  or  descendants. 


The    Golden 
Fleece. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  ARGONAUTIC  EXPEDITION  ™ 

ALTHOUGH  Ath'a  mas,  a  king  in  northern 
Greece,  had  two  children,  Phrixtis  and  Helle,  he 
left  his  first  wife  and  married  again.  This  sec- 
ond wife,  like  the  traditional  step-mother  wish- 


Fig.  84.     Phrixus  and  the  Ram. 

ing  to  get  rid  of  the  children,  persuaded  Athamas 
to  sacrifice  Phrixus  to  Zeus,  and  the  sacrifice 
was  about  to  be  accomplished  when  Hermes  sent 
a  ram  with  golden  fleece  which  carried  off  the 

30Apollonius  Rhodius,  Argonautica 
266 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     267 

two  children  on  his  back.  As  they  passed  over 
the  strait  now  known  as  the  Dardanelles,  Helle 
lost  her  hold  and  fell  off  into  the  water.  That 
is  how  this  strait  in  ancient  times  came  to  be 
called  the  Hellespont.  Phrixus  kept  on  to  Col- 
chis, on  the  Euxine  (now  the  Black)  Sea,  where 
he  offered  up  the  ram  to  Zeus  and  gave  the  golden 
fleece  to  IE  e'tes,  the  king,  who  hung  it  on  a  tree 
in  the  sacred  grove  of  Ares,  under  the  guardian- 
ship of  a  sleepless  dragon. 

The  nephew  of  Athamus,  Pe'li  as,  king  of  I  ol'-  Jason, 
cus,  a  violent  and  unjust  man,  seized  the  power 
and  possessions  that  belonged  to  his  half-brother 
yEson.  Fearing  for  the  life  of  his  son  Jason, 
^Eson  sent  him  as  a  baby  to  be  brought  up  by 
the  centaur  Chiron,  who,  unlike  most  of  the  cen- 
taurs, was  wonderfully  wise  and  just  and  was 
famous  both  as  a  physician  and  as  the  tutor  of 
many  of  the  heroes.  Jason  had  taken  part  in 
the  Calydonian  boar-hunt  when  he  was  hardly 
more  than  a  boy.  He  had  learned  from  Chiron 
kindness  and  courtesy  as  well  as  courage;  once 
when  he  found  a  feeble  old  woman  waiting  for 
some  one  to  help  her  across  a  raging  mountain 
torrent,  he  cheerfully  took  her  on  his  back  and 
set  her  over.  As  the  old  woman  happened  to 
be  Hera  in  disguise,  he  was  rewarded  for  his 
courtesy  by  securing  a  powerful  friend.  Soon 
after  this,  when  Pelias  was  holding  a  great  sac- 
rifice in  honor  of  Poseidon,  Jason  determined  to 


268    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

attend.  In  crossing  a  river  he  lost  one  sandal 
in  the  mud  and  went  on  without  it.  Now  Pelias 
had  been  warned  by  an  oracle  to  beware  of  a 


Centaur. 


man  who  should  come  to  him  wearing  one  san- 
dal; when,  therefore,  Jason  appeared  before  him, 
he  determined  to  put  him  out  of  his  way.  So 
when  the  young  man  quite  simply  and  frankly 


The  Argonautic  Expedition    269 

demanded  of  him  the  kingdom  that  of  right  be- 
longed to  him,  Pelias  answered  cautiously  that 
he  would  willingly  give  it  up  but  it  seemed  only 
right  that  Jason  should  first  prove  his  courage 
by  bringing  back  from  Colchis  the  famous  golden 
fleece.  Thus  he  thought  he  should  make  sure  of 
his  death. 

Without  delay  Jason  sent  messengers  all  over   The 

„  ,  ,  Argonauts. 

Greece  to  gather  comrades  for  this  dangerous  en- 
terprise. When  assembled  they  were  fifty  in  all 
—  each  one  a  famous  hero,  the  son  or  grandson 
of  a  god.  Chief  of  all  was  Heracles,  who  had 
just  returned  from  his  adventure  with  the  Ery- 
manthian  boar.  Orpheus  was  there,  the  divine 
musician;  Castor  and  Polydeuces,  the  twin- 
brothers  of  Helen;  Meleager  of  Calydon;  Peleus 
and  Telamon,  whose  sons,  Achilles  and  Ajax, 
were  to  be  great  heroes  of  the  Trojan  War;  the 
two  sons  of  Orithyia  and  Boreas,  the  north  wind, 
came  from  Thrace  on  their  dark,  cloudy  wings 
scaled  with  gold,  their  black  hair  streaming  be- 
hind them  as  they  flew.  Theseus  would  surely 
have  been  among  the  company,  but  at  that  time 
he  was  still  a  prisoner  in  Hades.  A  ship  was 
built  by  a  son  of  Phrixus,  Argus,  with  the  help 
of  Athena  herself,  and  was  named  from  its 
builder,  Argo.  In  its  prow  Athena  had  set  a 
beam  from  the  sacred  oak  of  Dodona,  possessed 
of  a  voice  and  prophetic  power  like  that  of  the 
trunk  from  which  it  was  cut.  All  the  city  came 


270    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

out  to  see  the  heroes  depart.37  From  the  wooded 
shore  across  the  bay  Chiron  waved  farewell  to 
his  pupil  and  held  out  for  his  father  to  see  Pe- 
leus'  son,  the  baby  Achilles,  who  had  been  given 
into  his  charge.  The  young  men  dipped  their 
long  oars  to  the  music  of  Orpheus'  lyre,  the 
fishes  frolicked  about  the  ship,  and  the  gods  looked 
down  from  high  heaven  in  admiration  at  the 
glorious  band  of  heroes. 
The  Many  were  the  adventures  on  this  famous  voy- 

age.  Sometimes  the  sea  threatened  to  sink  the 
ship;  sometimes  the  strangers  among  whom  they 
landed  were  hostile  and  they  were  compelled  to 
fight  for  their  lives.  At  the  island  of  Lemnos 
the  women,  who  had  recently  murdered  their 
husbands  and  fathers,  tried  to  keep  the  Argo- 
nauts with  them,  offering  them  a  share  of  their 
island.  Once  they  were  pursued  by  a  tribe  of 
six-handed  giants.  Finally  when  they  had  landed 
on  the  shore  of  an  island  to  rest,  they  lost  the 
strongest  of  their  company,  Heracles,  and  two 
others  with  him.  Heracles  had  gone  into  the 
woods  to  cut  a  new  oar  in  place  of  one  that  he 
had  broken,  and  his  young  friend  and  follower 
Hylas  had  gone  to  get  water  from  the  spring. 

3T  This  assembling  of  hardy  and  adventurous  men  from 
all  quarters  for  a  hazardous  enterprise  suggests  the  enlist- 
ment for  a  polar  expedition.  The  same  courage  and  re- 
sourcefulness are  required,  and  the  appeal  of  the  dangerous 
and  unknown  is  the  same. 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     271 

The  nymphs,  thinking  that  this  charming  young 
stranger  would  be  a  delightful  playfellow  and 
partner  in  the  dance,  put  out  their  long  white 
arms  and  drew  the  boy  down  into  their  foun- 
tain. One  of  the  company  heard  his  last  despair- 
ing cry  and  started  to  the  rescue,  calling  to  Her- 
acles as  he  ran.  Supposing  that  robbers  had 
stolen  him  the  two  scoured  the  country  and  were 
gone  so  long  that  the  other  heroes  sailed  away 
leaving  them  behind. 

When  at  last  Jason  and  his  companions  had 
passed  through  the  Bosphorus  they  came  to  the  ?heSc 
home  of  Phineus.  This  Phineus,  because  by  his  Eocks 
gift  of  prophecy  he  told  men  all  the  future,  Zeus 
had  cursed  with  blindness  and  had  sent  the  Har- 
pies (see  p.  150)  to  torment  him.  These  dreadful 
deities  of  storm  and  death  snatched  away  or  de- 
filed whatever  food  was  set  before  their  victim. 
The  coming  of  the  Argonauts  brought  relief  to  the 
starving,  blind  old  man,  for  when  the  Harpies 
swooped  down  upon  the  banquet  set  for  the  hero 
the  two  sons  of  Boreas  drew  their  swords  with  a 
great  shout  and  pursued  them.  Far  over  the  sea 
they  flew,  and  they  would  in  the  end  have  caught 
and  killed  the  Harpies,  but  Iris  came  between  them 
and  forbade  it.  In  return  for  this  good  deed 
Phineus  told  the  voyagers  of  all  that  lay  be- 
fore them  and  especially  of  the  perilous  Sym- 
pleg'a  des,  or  Clashing  Rocks.  So  when  they  had 
set  sail  again  and  saw  the  waves  breaking  and 


272    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  foam  tossed  high  from  these  terrible  rocks, 
they  loosed  a  dove  as  the  seer  had  bidden  them, 
and  when  she  had  passed  safely  through  with 
only  the  loss  of  her  tail  feathers,  they  dashed  in 
as  the  rocks  rebounded  and  forced  the  ship 
through,  rowing  with  all  their  might,  before  the 
rocks  could  close  a  second  time.  Yet  even  so 
the  ship  might  not  have  escaped,  but  Athena 
pushed  it  on  and  held  back  the  rocks  with  her 
hand.  From  that  time  those  rocks  have  re- 
mained rooted  fast  together,  no  longer  affording 
that  dangerous  passage. 
Further  The  next  day,  just  before  dawn,  they  landed 

adventures.  ,,    .  ,        , 

on  a  small  island,  and  there  Apollo  met  them  as 
he  passed  on  his  way  to  the  Hyperboreans.  About 
his  head  his  hair  fell  in  golden  curls,  in  his  hand 
was  his  silver  bow,  and  under  his  feet  the  island 
quaked.  The  heroes  were  amazed  when  they 
saw  him,  and  feared  to  look  into  the  shining 
eyes  of  the  god.  So  when  he  passed  on  they 
made  sacrifice  to  him  and  sang  the  psean  and 
called  that  island  sacred  to  Apollo  of  the  Dawn. 
Then  they  sailed  on  by  many  strange  lands  and 
peoples,  the  coast  of  the  Amazons  and  the  island 
of  Ares.  Here  there  flew  out  a  flock  of  birds 
who  rained  down  upon  the  rowers'  heads  a  rain 
of  feathers,  sharp  as  arrows;  but  the  heroes 
raised  over  the  ship  a  covering  of  their  shields, 
set  close  together,  and  so  passed  by  in  safety. 
Further  on  they  saw  the  Caucasus  Mountains 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     273 

rising  before  them,  and  a  great  vulture,  with 
wide-spread  wings,  flew  over  the  ship,  and  from 
the  cliff  above  sounded  cries  of  agony  as  Pro- 
metheus suffered  once  more  his  age-long  tor- 
ture ;  for  Heracles  had  not  yet  come  to  free 
that  much-enduring  friend  of  man.  (See  pp. 
10,  223.) 

Now   as   the  ship   neared   Colchis,    Hera   and   Jason  and 

Medea. 

Athena  in  heaven  held  a  council  together  to  plan 
how  they  might  aid  Jason  in  his  adventure.  They 
called  Aphrodite  and  persuaded  her  to  send  her 
son  Eros,  or  Cupid,  to  yEe'tes'  daughter  Ale  de'a 
to  cause  her  to  take  Jason's  part.  The  goddess 
of  love  found  her  little  son  playing  dice  with 
Zeus's  young  cup-bearer,  the  boy  Ganymede,  and 
by  the  promise  of  a  golden  ball  she  won  him 
to  do  what  she  asked.  Meanwhile  the  heroes 
had  landed  and  had  gone  up  to  the  great  palace 
of  yEetes,  adorned  with  the  work  of  Hephrestus, 
four  fountains  always  flowing,  one  with  oil,  one 
with  wine,  one  with  milk,  and  one  with  water. 
There  King  yEetes  entertained  the  travelers  roy- 
ally, while  Medea  sat  by,  her  heart  filled  with 
love  and  pain  as  she  looked  at  Jason,  for  Eros' 
sharp  arrow  had  pierced  deep.  Then  Jason  told 
the  king  that  he  had  come  to  get  the  golden 
fleece,  and  yEe'tes  answered  craftily,  saying  that 
he  would  freely  give  it  when  he  had  tried  Jason 
and  found  that  he  was  worthy  to  receive  it.  But 
first,  as  proof  of  his  skill  and  courage,  let  him 


274     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

harness  to  a  plow  the  bronze-hoofed  bulls  that 
breathed  out  fire  from  their  nostrils  and  plow 
with  them  the  field  of  Ares.  When  this  .was 
done,  let  him  plant  the  dragon's  teeth  that  Athena 
had  given.  Then,  if  all  this  was  accomplished 
between  dawn  and  sunset,  he  should  receive  the 
golden  fleece.  Though  he  looked  upon  it  as  an 
impossible  task,  Jason  could  do  no  better  than 
accept  the  king's  conditions,  but  he  returned  to 
his  ship  and  his  comrades  in  utter  discourage- 
ment. As  for  Medea,  she  was  in  an  agony  of 
doubt  as  to  whether  to  drive  this  love  from  her 
heart  and  allow  Jason  to  perish  or  to  be  disloyal 
to  her  father  and  help  with  her  magic  arts. 
Love  got  the  upper  hand,  and  she  took  powerful 
herbs  and  ointments  and  went  to  meet  Jason  at 
the  shrine  of  Hecate  beyond  the  walls.  As 
Jason  came  to  meet  her  the  gods  made  him  of 
nobler  bearing  and  more  glorious  than  before, 
and  he  talked  to  the  maiden  Medea  with  winning 
words.  So  she  gave  him  a  charm  made  of  a 
flower  that  grew  from  the  blood  drawn  from 
Prometheus  by  the  vulture,  and  gathered  and 
treated  in  magic  ways.  She  told  him,  too,  how 
to  propitiate  Hecate  by  mysterious  sacrifice  per- 
formed at  midnight,  and  how  afterwards,  when 
he  had  smeared  his  body  and  his  weapons  with 
the  magic  ointment,  he  could  safely  sow  the 
dragon's  teeth.  Jason  promised  her  in  return  his 
undying  love  and  gratitude  and  that  he  would 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     275 

carry   her  home   with  him   and   make   her   his 
wife. 

When  it  was  time  for  the  trial,  all  the  people   Jason 

harnesses 

assembled,  and  the  Argonauts  looked  on  with  «»e  bniis. 
dread  as  the  fire-breathing  bulls  rushed  upon  their 
leader.  But  the  ointment  made  him  invulnerable 
to  fire,  and  he  grappled  with  them  and  forced 
them  to  their  knees  and  put  the  yoke  upon  their 
necks.  So  he  plowed  the  field  of  Ares  and  then 
he  sowed  the  dragon's  teeth.  Thereupon  a  crop 
of  armed  men  sprang  up,  as  they  had  from  the 
dragon's  teeth  sowed  by  Cadmus  at  the  founding 
of  Thebes.  Jason  remembered  Medea's  warning 
and  threw  into  their  midst  a  great  stone,  and 
immediately  they  fell  upon  one  another,  and  oth- 
ers Jason  himself  slew  with  his  sword  until  none 
were  left. 

But  ^e'tes  had  no  intention  of  fulfilling  his  Jason  secures 

.    .  the   golden 

agreement  and  giving  up  the  golden  fleece,  and  fleec«- 
he  plotted  to  burn  the  ship  Argo  while  the  heroes 
slept.  Once  more  Medea  saved  Jason,  for  she 
told  him  where  to  find  the  tree  on  which  the 
fleece  was  hung,  and  she  gave  him  a  sleeping 
potion  to  pour  over  the  dragon's  eyes,  and  her- 
self lulled  him  by  a  magic  song.  So  in  that 
night  they  secured  the  fleece  and  secretly  board- 
ing the  ship  set  sail.  When  the  king  knew  of 
their  flight  and  that  they  had  taken  not  only  the 
famous  fleece  but  his  undutiful  daughter  as  well, 
he  started  out  in  hot  pursuit.  Then  Medea  did 


276     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

a  horrible  thing,  for  she  slaughtered  her  own 
brother,  whom  she  had  taken  with  her,  and  cut 
up  his  limbs  and  cast  them  behind  her  on  the 
waters,  so  that  her  father,  in  gathering  them  up 
for  burial,  might  be  delayed  in  his  pursuit. 
fromrecorichis.  About  the  course  followed  by  the  Argonauts 
on  their  return  voyage  there  is  much  uncertainty, 
but  they  seem  to  have  met  with  many  of  the  mon- 
sters and  strange  beings  that  Odysseus  (or 
Ulysses)  afterwards  encountered.  At  last,  how- 
ever, they  landed  on  their  native  shores  and  were 


Fig.  86.     Medea  preparing  the  magic  brew. 

received  with  joy  by  ^Eson  and  with  feigned  sat- 
isfaction by  Pelias.  Years  and  anxiety  had 
greatly  enfeebled  ^Eson,  and  his  son  longed  to 
see  him  young  and  strong  again.  Medea  under- 
took to  satisfy  his  wish.  Nine  nights  under  the 
full  moon  she  scoured  the  earth  in  her  dragon- 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     277 

drawn  chariot  in  search  of  rare  herbs  and  other 
things  of  use  in  the  sorcerer's  art.  Then  she 
built  altars  to  Hecate  and  the  goddess  of  youth, 
and  sacrificing  to  the  gods  of  the  under  world 
she  called  upon  them  by  name.  The  old  man 
she  purified  three  times,  with  fire,  with  water, 
and  with  sulphur.  Then  she  concocted  a  brew 
of  magic  herbs,  of  frost  got  by  moonlight,  of 
the  wings  and  flesh  of  bats,  of  the  vitals  of  a 
wolf,  the  liver  of  a  stag,  and  the  beak  and  head  of 
a  long-lived  crow.  She  stirred  it  all  together  with 
a  stick  of  dry  olive-wood;  the  stick  grew  green 
and  put  forth  leaves,  and  where  the  liquid  spat- 
tered on  the  earth  fresh  grass  sprang  up.  Then 
the  sorceress  opened  the  veins  of  her  patient, 
and  as  the  blood  flowed  out,  she  poured  into  his 
mouth  and  veins  her  magic  liquid.  And  his 
white  hairs  grew  dark  again,  the  color  came  into 
his  sunken  cheeks,  and  his  feeble  form  grew 
strong  and  straight.  When  Pelias'  daughters 
saw  this  marvel,  they  begged  to  have  the  same 
treatment  given  to  their  father  as  well.  Medea 
pretended  to  consent,  and  having  made  a  power- 
less brew  of  herbs  and  water,  gave  the  signal  for 
the  credulous  daughters  to  slaughter  their  father. 

Because  of  this  murder  of  Pelias.   Jason  and  The  tragedy 

of  Medea. 

Medea  were  obliged  to  leave  lolcus  and  take  ref- 
uge in  Corinth.  In  time  Jason  grew  tired  of 
his  passionate  and  mysterious  wife  and  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  marrying  a  princess  of 


278    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Corinth.  Medea,  covering  up  her  bitter  resent- 
ment with  a  show  of  submission,  sent  the  bride 
as  a  wedding  gift  a  beautiful  robe,  but  when  she 
put  it  on  it  consumed  her  flesh  like  fire,  and  her 


Fig.  87.     Medea  preparing  to  kill  her  Children. 


father  in  trying  to  help  her  perished  with  her. 
This  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  Medea's  hatred. 
That  the  perfidious  Jason  might  not  have  sons 
to  care  for  his  old  age  and  to  perpetuate  his 


The  Argonautic  Expedition     279 

race,  she  conquered  her  maternal  feelings  and 
killed  her  two  children.  Then  in  her  dragon- 
drawn  chariot  she  flew  away.  In  Athens  she 
married  Theseus'  father  ^geus  and  almost 
brought  about  the  hero's  death  by  persuading  his 
father  to  offer  him  a  poisoned  cup.  When 
^geus'  sudden  recognition  of  his  son  thwarted 
this  plot,  the  sorceress  flew  away  and  disap- 
peared from  story.  (See  p.  249.) 

Jason  passed  thereafter  a  forlorn  and  useless  Jason's  end, 
life.     His   only   comfort  was   to   go  and   sit   in 
the   shade  of   the   old   ship  Argo,   the   outward 
symbol  of  his  only  great  achievement.     One  day 
its  rotting  timbers  fell  on  him  and  crushed  him. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  TROJAN  WAR 
The  legend       THE  story  of  the  Trojan  War  was  the  sub- 

of  Troy.          _  '.  ' 

ject  of  a  great  cycle  of  legends,  and  the  deeds 
of  the  heroes  engaged  in  it  inspired  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  Greeks  in  all  ages.  Homer's  Iliad 
is  but  the  greatest  of  many  epics  written  about 
the  siege  of  Troy,  and  the  Odyssey  is  concerned 
with  the  adventures  of  one  of  the  heroes  of  that 
war  on  his  return  voyage.  All  the  great  writers 
of  tragedy  turned  to  some  phase  of  the  struggle 
or  to  the  history  of  one  or  other  of  the  families 
engaged  in  it.  Alexander  the  Great  set  Achilles 
before  him  as  his  ideal  hero  and  turned  aside 
from  his  march  of  conquest  to  visit  his  reputed 
tomb.  The  fame  and  influence  of  the  story  de- 
scended upon  Rome,  and  the  poet  Vergil  took 
as  the  subject  of  his  national  epic  the  wander- 
ings of  Trojan  ^Eneas  from  burning  Troy  until 
he  settled  in  Italy  and  became  the  ancestor  of 
the  Roman  race.  For  more  than  two  thousand 
years  scholars  have  discussed  the  historical  basis 
for  the  legend,  and  not  fifty  years  ago  a  Ger- 
man business  man,  having  acquired  a  sufficient 
fortune,  determined  to  devote  the  rest  of  his  life 
280 


The  Trojan  War  281 

and  a  large  part  of  his  money  to  excavating  be- 
neath a  little  Turkish  village  on  the  legendary 
site  of  Troy.  There,  buried  beneath  three  other 
ruined  cities,  were  unearthed  the  remains  of  a 
walled  town  of  the  time  of  which  Homer  tells. 
Whether  history,  legend,  or  myth,  the  Trojan 
War  has  left  its  mark  deep  on  the  thought  and 
poetry  of  our  world,  and  the  actors  in  that  drama 
are  pictured  on  the  walls  of  our  libraries  and 
public  buildings  along  with  Columbus  and  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers,  as  part  of  our  heritage  from 
the  past. 

The  siege  took  place  in  the  generation  succeed- 
ing that  of  the  Calydonian  Boar  Hunt,  the  Seven 
against  Thebes,  and  the  voyage  of  the  Argonauts, 
and  many  of  the  warriors  engaged  before  Troy 
were  the  sons  of  the  earlier  heroes.  Three  fam- 
ilies are  of  especial  importance  in  this  connec- 
tion. 

Agamem'non  and  Men  e  la'us,  the  leaders  of 
the  Greek  hosts,  were  descended  from  Tan'ta  lus, 
who  was  the  son  of  Zeus.  This  Tantalus  was 
remarkably  favored  by  the  gods,  for  he  was  in- 
vited to  their  banquets,  partook  of  their  nectar 
and  ambrosia,  and  shared  their  secrets.  For 
what  crime  he  lost  his  exalted  position  and  in 
what  way  he  was  punished  is  a  matter  of  dis- 
pute. Some  say  that  he  stole  nectar  and  am- 
brosia and  shared  it  with  his  friends ;  some,  that 
he  divulged  the  secrets  of  Zeus;  some,  that  he 


282     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

became  so  presumptuous  that  to  test  the  gods  he 
served  up  to  them  at  a  feast  the  flesh  of  his  own 
son  Pelops.  There  are  also  differing  accounts 
of  the  punishment  he  received:  that  he  stood  in 
Hades  below  a  rock  that  seemed  ever  about  to  fall 
and  crush  him,  or  that,  as  was  told  in  an  earlier 
chapter  (see  p.  190),  in  the  presence  of  food  and 
drink  he  was  always  unable  to  reach  it  and  ap- 
pease his  torturing  hunger  and  thirst.  Though 
Pelops  had  been  served  up  in  this  cannibal  fash- 
ion, he  had  been  restored  to  life  by  Hermes  and 
came  out  of  the  ordeal  whole  and  strong  except 
for  one  shoulder,  which  Demeter,  in  the  absent- 
mindedness  induced  by  her  grief  for  her  daugh- 
ter, had  unfortunately  eaten.  For  it  she  sub- 
stituted a  shoulder  of  ivory.  It  was  Pelops  who 
won  his  wife  Hippodamia  by  contending  with  her 
father  in  a  chariot  race  (see  p.  147),  and  some  say 
that  it  was  his  violence  to  the  charioteer  Myrtilus 
that  brought  on  his  family  the  curse  that  pur- 
sued it  through  three  generations.  Because  of 
their  murder  of  their  brother,  Pelops  drove  his 
sons  A'treus  and  Thyes'tes,  from  his  kingdom, 
and  they  came  to  Mycenae  where  they  succeeded 
to  the  power  after  Eurystheus'  death.  Atreus 
caught  Thyestes  in  an  attempt  to  deprive  him  of 
his  power  and,  while  appearing  to  forgive  him, 
avenged  himself  by  serving  up  his  son  to  him  at 
dinner.  The  sons  of  Atreus  were  Agamemnon 
and  Menelaiis,  the  former,  king  of  Mycenae  and 


The  Trojan  War  283 

overlord  of  a  large  part  of  the  Peloponnesus  and 
surrounding  islands,  the  latter,  ruler  of  Sparta 
and  husband  of  Zeus's  beautiful  daughter  Helen. 

Achilles  was  descended  from  yE'a  cus,  who  was  The  family  of 

lf.         ,  .  .    ,  ,     .  .ffiacus. 

noted  for  his  uprightness  and  justice.  He  was 
the  son  of  Zeus  by  yE  gi'na,  whom  Zeus  in  the 
form  of  an  eagle  had  stolen  from  her  father,  a 
river-god,  and  had  carried  off  to  the  island  near 
Athens  that  still  bears  her  name.  Hera,  in  anger 
at  the  island  for  affording  hospitality  to  a  rival, 
sent  upon  it  a  plague  that  destroyed  all  the  in- 
habitants except  ^Eacus,  who  in  his  loneliness 
called  upon  his  father  to  give  him  a  people. 
Zeus  answered  his  prayer  by  turning  a  tribe  of 
ants  into  men,  called  from  the  Greek  word  Myr'- 
mi  dons.  Because  of  his  righteousness,  yEacus 
after  death  was  made  a  judge  in  the  lower  world. 
(See  p.  189.)  ^Eacus'  son  Peleus,  with  the  Myr- 
midons, migrated  to  a  part  of  Thessaly  called 
Phthia.  As  a  young  man  he  took  part  in  the 
Calydonian  boar  hunt  and  the  quest  of  the  golden 
fleece.  His  wife  was  the  Nereid  Thetis,  whom 
Zeus  himself  had  been  deterred  from  marrying 
only  by  the  prophecy  that  she  would  bear  a  son 
greater  than  his  father.  The  issue  of  this  mar- 
riage was  Achilles.  Because  of  a  prophecy  that 
her  son  would  die  in  war,  Thetis  had  tried  to  make 
him  invulnerable  by  dipping  him  as  a  baby  in  the 
potent  waters  of  the  Styx.  The  heel  by  which 
she  held  him  had  been  unwet  by  the  waters  and 


284    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

hence  was  the  one  vulnerable  spot.38  After  this 
Thetis  left  her  husband  and  child  and  returned 
to  her  father  Nereus  in  the  depths  of  the  sea, 
and  Achilles  was  given  to  the  centaur  Chiron 
to  be  educated.  He  grew  up  strong  and  beau- 
tiful, and  so  swift  of  foot  that  he  needed  no  dog 
nor  spear  in  hunting  but  overtook  his  game  and 
caught  it  alive. 
The  royai  The  earliest  mortal  ancestor  of  the  Trojan  royal 

family  of  , 

Troy.  family  was  Dar  da  nus,  a  son  of  Zeus,  who 
founded  a  city  on  the  slopes  of  Mt.  Ida,  in  the 
northwestern  corner  of  Asia  Minor.  From  his 
grandson  Tros  the  Trojans  took  their  name.  One 
of  Tros's  sons  was  the  beautiful  boy  Ganymede, 
whom  Zeus  took  to  be  his  cup-bearer,  and  an- 
other was  Ilus,  who  transferred  the  seat  of  his 
power  to  Ilium  or  Troy,  a  new  city  built  between 
Mt.  Ida  and  the  Hellespont.  The  walls  of  the 
new  city  were  built  by  Poseidon  and  Apollo  for 
Ilus's  son,  the  faithless  Laomedon.  After  the 
destruction  of  the  city  and  the  death  of  Laomedon 
at  Heracles'  hands  (see  p.  225),  the  rule  fell  to 
Laomedon's  only  living  son,  Priam,  a  just  and 
god-fearing  man,  by  whom  the  city  was  splendidly 
restored.  Priam  became  the  father  of  fifty 
daughters  and  fifty  sons,  of  whom  the  noblest  was 
Hector.  Another  of  his  sons  was  the  ill-omened 
Paris,  the  curse  of  Troy. 

38  Anatomists  still  call  the  tendon  attached  to  the  heel 
"Achilles'  tendon." 


The  Trojan  War 


285 


The  golden  apple  that  the  goddess  had  thrown  The  causes 

of  the  war. 

in  among  the  gods  assembled  as  guests  at  the  wed- 
ding of  Peleus  and  Thetis  (see  p.  in)  had  not 
only  brought  discord  between  Zeus's  wife  and  his 


Fig.  88.    The  persuasion  of  Helen. 

daughters,  Athena  and  Aphrodite,  but  it  was  the 
first  cause  of  the  war  between  Greeks  and  Tro- 
jans, which,  after  lasting  for  ten  years,  ended 
in  the  utter  destruction  of  Troy  and  the  death 


286    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

of  hundreds  of  heroes.  For  the  Trojan  prince 
and  shepherd  Paris,  whom  Zeus  had  made  judge 
in  the  matter,  had  given  the  prize  of  beauty  to 
Aphrodite  because  she  had  promised  him  as  wife 
the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world.  Now 
the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world  was  Helen, 
the  daughter  of  Leda  and  Zeus  (see  p.  235),  who, 
after  being  sought  in  marriage  by  all  the  princes 
of  Greece,  had  been  given  by  her  step-father  to 
Menelaiis,  king  of  Sparta.  Fulfilling  her  prom- 
ise, Aphrodite  led  Paris  to  the  court  of  Menelaiis, 
who,  in  accordance  with  the  gracious  custom  that 
required  hospitable  treatment  of  strangers  as  a 
law  of  Zeus,  received  him  kindly  and  entertained 
him  at  his  palace.  Then  Paris  did  a  treacherous 
thing ;  for  while  Menelaus  was  away  from  home, 
he  induced  Helen  to  desert  her  husband,  and  put- 
ting her  and  much  treasure  on  board  his  ship, 
he  sailed  away  to  Troy.  Greek  poets  seem  not 
to  have  attached  so  much  blame  in  the  matter  to 
Helen  as  we  might  expect,  partly,  no  doubt,  be- 
cause she  had  yielded  to  Aphrodite's  persuasions, 
but  partly,  it  would  seem,  because  such  divine 
beauty  as  hers  seemed  to  them  to  cover  a  multi- 
tude of  sins.  But  Paris'  action  was  unreservedly 
condemned. 
The  caii  When  the  Greek  chiefs  had  been  contending 

to  arms. 

for  the  hand  of  Helen,  they  had  agreed  that  if 
violence  should  be  done  to  her  or  to  the  man 
whom  she  married,  they  would  all  unite  in  aveng- 


The  Trojan  War  287 

ing  it.  And  so  when  Menelaiis  and  his  brother 
Agamemnon,  king  of  Mycenae,  called  upon  them 
to  take  arms  against  the  Trojans,  they  hastened 
to  fulfil  their  pledge.  Agamemnon,  as  the  most 
powerful  prince  of  Greece,  was  chosen  leader 
of  the  armies.  His  most  trusted  counselor  was 
the  aged  Nestor,  whose  long  reminiscences  of 
the  glories  of  his  youth  and  the  mighty  deeds  of 
the  heroes  of  his  generation  met  with  unfailing 
respect  from  the  courteous  princes.  Di  o  me'des, 
son  of  Tydeus,  came  from  Argos;  he  was  the 
bravest  of  Greeks,  except  only  Achilles.  Ajax, 
son  of  Telemon,  led  his  forces  from  Salamis  and 
earned  for  himself  the  title  of  "  great  bulwark 
of  the  Achaeans."  The  catalogue  of  ships,  as 
Homer  gives  it,  amounted  to  more  than  twelve 
hundred;  these  were  all  rowed  with  great  oars 
and  carried  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  men 
each.  All  the  heroes  were  anxious  to  secure  the 
help  of  Odysseus,  prince  of  Ithaca,  whose  reputa- 
tion for  courage  and  endurance  was  equaled  by 
his  reputation  for  cunning  devices  and  persua- 
sive talk.  But  Odysseus  was  living  happily  with 
his  wife  Pe  nel'o  pe  and  his  little  son  Te  lem'a  chus 
and  wished  to  avoid  going  to  the  war.  So  when 
an  embassy  came  to  summon  him,  he  feigned 
madness,  and  harnessing  an  ass  and  a  bull  to  his 
plow,  sowed  his  field  with  salt.  But  the  clever 
ambassadors  laid  the  baby  Telemachus  before  the 
plow,  and  when  Odysseus  turned  it  aside,  they 


288     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

proved  his  sanity  and  induced  him  to  join  the 
expedition.  Once  forced  to  throw  in  his  for- 
tune with  theirs,  Odysseus  was  more  than  ready 
to  help  in  securing  the  company  of  young  Achil- 
les. For  Achilles'  mother,  the  sea-goddess  The- 
tis, having  prophetic  knowledge  that  her  son  was 
not  destined  to  return  alive  from  the  war,  had 
sent  him,  disguised  as  a  girl,  to  serve  among  the 
attendants  of  the  princess  of  Scyros.  Odysseus 
came  to  the  court  in  the  disguise  of  a  peddler, 
bringing  among  the  feminine  silks  and  trinkets 
a  sword.  While  the  princess  and  her  maids  ea- 
gerly tried  on  the  ear-rings  and  veils,  Achilles  with 
sparkling  eyes  seized  upon  the  sword  and  bran- 
dished it  above  his  head.  Then  Odysseus  threw 
off  his  disguise  and  easily  persuaded  Achilles  to 
join  the  army.  He  was  the  strongest  and  bravest 
of  all  the  princes,  in  beauty,  strength  and  noble 
nature  the  ideal  hero  of  the  Greeks.  With  Achil- 
les came  his  friend  Pat  ro'clus,  and  so  close  was 
the  affection  between  the  two  that  their  friend- 
ship takes  its  place  beside  that  between  David 
and  Jonathan. 
The  sacrifice  The  armies  of  the  Greek  leaders  assembled  at 

of  Iphigenia 

at  Auiis.  Auhs,.  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Central  Greece. 
There  Artemis,  in  punishment  for  the  killing  of 
a  sacred  hind,  refused  them  favorable  winds  and 
would  not  allow  them  to  sail,  until  Agamemnon, 
summoning  his  young  daughter  Iph  i  ge  ni'a  on 
the  plea  of  giving  her  in  marriage  to  Achilles, 


The  Trojan  War 


289 


offered  her  as  a  sacrifice.  At  the  moment  when 
the  knife  was  about  to  descend  upon  her,  Ar- 
temis snatched  her  away  to  serve  as  priestess  in 
her  temple  at  Taurus,  putting  in  her  place  a  hind. 
Then  favorable  winds  brought  the  fleet  to  Troy. 


fig. 


Sacrifice  of  Iphigenia. 


There  is  nothing  more  moving  in  all  tragedy  than 
Iphigenia's  appeal  to  her  father,  as  Euripides  tells 
it,  and  nothing  more  noble  than  her  final  willing 
submission  when  she  knew  that  without  it  her 
people  could  never  be  victorious. 


The  early 
years  of 
the  war. 


The  quarrel 
between  Aga- 
memnon and 
Achilles. 


290    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

A  second  act  of  self-sacrifice  marked  the  land- 
ing of  the  Greeks.  Pro  tes  i  la'us,  knowing  the 
prophecy  that  the  man  who  first  touched  Trojan 
soil  should  meet  his  death,  leaped  from  the  ship, 
offering  his  life  for  the  cause.  His  devoted  wife 
La  od  a  mi'a  prayed  to  the  gods  that  he  might 
return  to  her  for  one  day.  The  prayer  was 
granted,  and  when  he  died  the  second  time  she 
threw  herself  upon  his  funeral  pyre  and  so  ac- 
companied him  to  Hades.  The  siege  of  the  city 
now  began.  The  gods  took  an  active  part  in  the 
struggle,  protecting  and  inspiring  their  sons  and 
favorites  among  the  heroes  and  in  some  cases 
even  entering  the  battle  in  person.  On  the  Tro- 
jan side  were  Aphrodite  (Venus),  Ares  (Mars), 
and  Apollo;  on  the  Greek  side,  Hera  (June), 
Athena  (Minerva),  and  Poseidon  (Neptune). 
Zeus  (Jupiter)  held  victory  in  the  balance,  yield- 
ing to  the  persuasion  now  of  this  god,  now  of 
that,  for  Greeks  or  Trojans,  but  keeping  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  fate  that  required  the  ultimate  over- 
throw of  Troy.  For  nine  years  the  siege  con- 
tinued with  varying  fortune,  yet,  on  the  whole, 
advantage  lay  with  the  Greeks,  since  they  had 
driven  the  Trojans  within  their  walled  city  and 
had  ravaged  the  neighboring  country. 

After  one  of  these  raids  Agamemnon  had  re- 
ceived as  his  share  of  the  booty  a  maiden  named 
Chry  se'is,  whose  father  was  a  priest  of  Apollo. 
The  priest,  coming  to  ransom  his  daughter,  was 


The  Trojan  War  291 

driven  off  with  insults,  and  called  upon  the  god 
for  vengeance. 

And  Phoebus  Apollo  heard  him  and  came  down  from 
the  peaks  of  Olympus  wroth  at  heart,  bearing  on  his 
shoulders  his  bow  and  covered  quiver.  And  the  ar- 
rows clanged  upon  his  shoulders  in  his  wrath,  as  the 
god  moved;  and  he  descended  like  to  night.  Then  he 
sate  him  aloof  from  the  ships,  and  let  an  arrow  fly; 
and  there  was  heard  a  great  clanging  of  the  silver  bow. 
First  did  he  assail  the  mules  and  fleet  dogs,  but  after- 
ward, aiming  at  the  men  his  swift  dart,  he  smote ;  and 
the  pyres  of  the  dead  burnt  continually  in  multitude. 
(Iliad,  I.  42  ff.) 

On  the  tenth  day  of  the  plague  brought  by  Apol- 
lo's arrows  Achilles,  inspired  by  Hera,  called  the 
Greeks  to  an  assembly  and  urged  the  prophet 
Calchas  to  tell  what  had  aroused  the  anger  of 
the  god.  When  the  prophet  made  known  the 
truth,  Agamemnon  was  furiously  angry  against 
him  and  against  Achilles  for  protecting  him,  and 
declared  that  if  Chryseis  was  taken  from  him  he 
would  take  in  return  Achilles'  slave  maiden 
Bri  se'is.  So  began  the  quarrel  between  Aga- 
memnon and  Achilles,  which,  as  Homer  says, 
"  hurled  down  into  Hades  many  strong  souls 
of  heroes."  For  Achilles,  in  wrath  at  the  loss 
of  Briseis  and  in  indignation  at  the  insolent  in- 
vasion of  his  rights,  retired  to  his  tent  and  re- 
fused to  lead  his  Myrmidons  to  battle.  More- 
over he  complained  of  his  ungrateful  treatment 


292     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

to  his  mother  Thetis,  calling  her  up  from  her  home 
in  the  depths  of  ocean  to  listen  to  his  angry  com- 
plaints. And  she  "  rose  from  the  gray  sea  like 
a  mist,"  and  caressed  her  son  and  promised  to 
go  to  Father  Zeus  and  demand  Agamemnon's 
punishment.  So  when  Thetis  came  to  Olympus 
and  clasped  his  knees,  Zeus  bowed  his  ambrosial 
head  in  assent,  promising  that  the  Greeks  should 
flee  before  the  Trojans  until  Agamemnon  should 
bitterly  repent  of  his  insolence.  It  is  the  story 
of  this  quarrel  between  the  heroes  and  its  re- 
sults which  Homer  tells  in  the  Iliad. 

the  Trojans  Though  he  delayed  in  its  accomplishment,  Zeus 
the  ships.  <\id  not  forget  his  promise,  and  he  laid  his  stern 
command  upon  all  the  gods  to  refrain  from  fur- 
ther interference  in  the  battle.  Then  Hector 
rallied  the  Trojans  and  drove  the  Greeks  back 
to  their  ships,  and  the  battle  swayed  now  this 
way,  now  that,  and  all  the  plain  was  strewn  with 
dead  and  wounded.  For  a  time  Agamemnon 
took  the  lead  and  seemed  invincible,  but  at  the 
last  he  was  disabled  by  a  wound,  and  Menelaiis 
was  wounded,  and  Odysseus,  and  many  others  of 
the  chiefs.  So  Hector  led  his  people  against  the 
wall  that  the  Greeks  had  built  about  their  camp, 
and  Apollo,  disobeying  Zeus's  command,  put  him- 
self at  their  head  and  cast  down  the  wall  "  as  a 
boy  scatters  the  sand  beside  the  sea."  Fire  was 
thrown  on  one  of  the  Greek  ships  and  the  whole 
fleet  might  have  been  destroyed  and  the  Greeks 


The  Trojan  War  293 

cut  off  from  return  home  if  great  Ajax  had  not 
stubbornly  held  the  Trojans  at  bay. 

At  this  desperate  crisis  Patroclus,  grieving  for   The  death  of 

„      .  Patroclus. 

the  sufferings  of  his  friends,  went  to  Achilles  and 
begged  that  if  he  was  unwilling  himself  to  for- 
get his  resentment  and  return  to  the  conflict,  he 
would  permit  him,  clad  in  his  armor,  to  lead 
the  Myrmidons  to  the  rescue.  For  he  hoped 
that  the  Trojans  seeing  Achilles'  well  known  arms 
would  think  that  the  hero  himself  had  come 
against  them  and  so  would  lose  confidence.  Half 
unwillingly  Achilles  gave  his  consent,  at  the 
same  time  earnestly  warning  Patroclus  that  when 
he  had  driven  the  Trojans  back  and  saved  the 
ships  he  should  refrain  from  pursuing  to  the 
walls  of  the  city.  On  the  appearance  of  Patro- 
clus in  Achilles'  armor  the  tide  of  the  battle  was 
turned,  and  the  Greeks  drove  back  the  Trojans. 
Then  Patroclus,  in  the  fury  of  the  fight,  forgot 
his  chief's  orders  and  pursued  even  to  the  city 
and  would  have  scaled  the  wall  at  the  head  of 
his  victorious  Myrmidons  if  Apollo  had  not  ap- 
peared on  the  ramparts  and  forced  them  back. 
Although  the  Trojans  rallied,  Patroclus  held  his 
ground  beneath  the  walls  of  the  city,  until  Apollo, 
coming  behind  him,  struck  him  and  cast  off 
his  helmet  and  broke  his  spear.  So,  unarmed  by 
the  god,  Patroclus  was  overthrown  and  killed  by 
Hector,  prophesying  as  the  breath  left  his  body 
the  approaching  death  of  his  victorious  foe  at 


294    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  hands  of  the  vengeful  Achilles.  Menelaiis 
and  Ajax,  standing  over  the  body  of  their  fallen 
comrade,  with  grim  determination  beat  back  the 
fierce  attacks  of  the  Trojans.  But  Achilles' 
armor  fell  into  Hector's  hands,  though  the  horses 
and  chariot  were  saved  and  driven  out  of  the 
field.  Homer  says  of  those  immortal  horses : 

As  a  pillar  abideth  firm  that  standeth  on  the  tomb  of 
a  man  or  woman  dead,  so  abode  they  immovably  with 
the  beautiful  chariot,  abasing  their  heads  unto  the 
earth.  And  hot  tears  flowed  from  their  eyes  to  the 
ground  as  they  mourned  in  sorrow  for  their  charioteer. 
(Iliad,  XVII.  434.) 

Achilles  re-        A  messenger  from  the  battle  came  to  Achilles 

turns  to  1-111-  ••  •         i       r 

ihe  war.  as  he  sat  beside  the  ships,  waiting  anxiously  for 
the  return  of  his  friend.  When  he  heard  the 
news  "  a  black  cloud  of  grief  enwrapped  Achilles, 
and  with  both  hands  he  took  dark  dust  and 
poured  it  over  his  head  and  defiled  his  comely 
face,  and  on  his  fragrant  doublet  black  ashes 
fell."  Thetis  heard  her  son's  moans  and  rose 
from  the  sea  and  came  and,  sitting  beside  him, 
tried  to  comfort  him.  She  promised  to  go  to 
Hephaestus  and  persuade  him  to  make  for  the 
hero  arms  greater  and  more  glorious  than  those 
he  had  lost,  so  that  he  might  return  to  the  bat- 
tle and  avenge  his  dead  friend.  After  Thetis 
had  left  him,  Hera  sent  Iris,  bidding  him  show 
himself  to  the  Trojans,  even  unarmed  as  he 
was. 


The  Trojan  War  295 

Around  his  strong  shoulders  Athena  cast  her  tasseled 
regis,  and  around  his  head  the  bright  goddess  set  a 
crown  of  a  golden  cloud,  and  kindled  therefrom  a  blaz- 
ing flame. 

So  when  Achilles  shouted  aloud,  the  Trojans  were 
dismayed  and  drew  back,  and  the  Greeks  drew  the 
body  of  Patroclus  from  under  the  heap  of  slain 
that  had  fallen  on  him  and  carried  him  to  Achil- 
les' tent.  Meanwhile  Thetis,  fulfilling  her  prom- 
ise, found  Hephaestus  working  at  his  forge  and 
made  her  request.  And  the  lame  god  made  for 
Achilles  marvelous  armor,  worthy  of  a  god.  The 
shield  was  wrought  in  wonderful  designs,  the 
earth  and  heavens,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  were 
in  the  middle  of  it,  and  there  were  two  cities, 
one  at  peace,  where  people  were  being  married 
and  dancing  and  holding  their  law-courts,  the 
other  under  siege,  and  the  gods  mingling  in  the 
fight.  On  other  circles  of  the  shield  he  pictured 
fields  plowed  and  harvested,  and  a  vineyard,  and 
herds  of  cattle  attacked  by  lions,  and  flocks  of 
sheep ;  besides  these,  a  dancing-place  where  boys 
and  girls  were  dancing  to  music.  All  around  the 
edge  of  the  shield  he  wrought  the  river  of  Ocean. 
When  Achilles  had  received  the  glorious  armor 
from  his  mother,  he  was  filled  with  a  furious 
eagerness  to  join  battle  with  the  Trojans  and 
avenge  himself  on  Hector;  but  first  he  went  to 
the  assembly  of  the  Greeks  and  became  recon- 
ciled with  Agamemnon.  The  other  heroes  were 


296    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

glad  of  his  return,  but  most  of  all,  Agamemnon, 
who  acknowledged  the  wrong  he  had  done  and 
offered  all  the  reparation  in  his  power.  So 
Zeus's  promise  to  Thetis  had  been  fulfilled,  and 
now,  calling  the  gods  to  assembly,  he  bade  them 
go  and  enter  the  conflict,  helping  whatever  heroes 
they  would. 
The  deeds  of  The  most  terrible  battle  of  the  war  now  began, 

Achilles. 

and  Achilles  raged  across  the  plain  like  a  god, 
seemingly  invincible.  All  that  met  him  fell  be- 
fore him,  among  them  two  sons  of  Priam.  At 
last  the  river  Xanthus,  choked  with  the  bodies 
of  the  sons  of  Troy,  rose  in  his  might  against 
the  hero  and  pursued  him  across  the  plain,  threat- 
ening to  overwhelm  him  in  his  great  waves. 
Achilles  might  well  have  died  there,  with  his 
vengeance  unaccomplished,  if  Hera  had  not 
roused  her  son  Hephaestus  to  meet  and  check  the 
oncoming  flood  of  the  river  with  a  flood  of  fire. 
Freed  from  the  pursuit  of  the  river-god,  Achilles 
returned  to  the  pursuit  of  his  enemies  and 
drove  them  before  him  to  the  city.  From  his 
post  on  the  walls  Priam  saw  the  danger  of 
his  people  and  ordered  the  gates  to  be  thrown 
open  to  afford  them  a  refuge.  This  might  have 
been  the  signal  for  the  destruction  of  Troy,  for 
Achilles  was  so  close  on  their  heels  that  he  had 
almost  entered  the  gates  behind  them,  when 
Apollo  inspired  one  of  the  fugitives  to  stand  and 
meet  him.  Then,  when  Achilles  would  have 


The  Trojan  War  297 

killed  the  rash  mortal,  the  god  snatched  him  away, 
and  assuming  his  form,  drew  Achilles  in  pur- 
suit away  from  the  open  gates. 

But  brave  Hector  still  stood  outside  the  gates  The  death 

of  Hector. 

of  the  city  and  would  not  hear  the  prayers  of 
his  father  and  mother  that  he  should  follow  his 
comrades  into  safety;  for  he  dreaded  the  re- 
proach of  his  people  that  he  had  led  them  on 
to  battle  and  had  brought  many  to  death  and  had 
then  feared  himself  to  stand  against  Achilles. 
So  when  Achilles  returned  from  his  vain  pursuit 
of  the  god,  Hector  boldly  stood  to  meet  him, — 
only  for  a  moment,  for  when  he  saw  him  near, 
in  his  blazing  armor  and  brandishing  his  great 
spear,  a  panic  seized  Hector  and  he  turned  and 
fled.  Three  times  around  the  walls  of  Troy  Hec- 
tor fled  and  Achilles  pursued. 

But  when  the  fourth  time  they  had  reached  the 
springs,  then  the  Father  hung  his  golden  balances,  and 
set  therein  two  lots  of  dreary  death,  one  of  Achilles, 
one  of  horse-taming  Hector,  and  held  them  by  the 
midst  and  poised.  Then  Hector's  fated  day  sank  down, 
and  fell  to  the  house  of  Hades,  and  Phoebus  Apollo  left 
him.  (Iliad,  XXII.  208.) 

Then  Athena,  the  enemy  of  Troy,  came  in  the 
form  of  his  brother  and  urged  Hector  to  stand 
and  wait  for  Achilles'  onset,  and  he  was  deceived 
and  obeyed.  But  when,  having  thrown  his  spear 
against  Achilles  and  missed  him,  he  turned  to 
receive  a  second  spear  from  his  brother  and  saw 


298    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

no  one  near,  he  knew  that  the  gods  had  de- 
ceived him  and  drew  his  sword  for  the  last  des- 
perate chance.  The  end  had  been  determined  by 
fate,  and  noble  Hector  fell  before  Achilles,  as 
Patroclus  had  fallen  before  him,  "  and  his  soul 
flew  forth  of  his  limbs  and  was  gone  to  the 
house  of  Hades,  wailing  her  fate,  leaving  her 
vigor  and  youth."  Then  Achilles  took  a  savage 
vengeance  for  his  friend's  death,  for  he  bound 
his  fallen  enemy  to  his  chariot  by  the  feet  and 
dragged  him  in  the  dust  about  the  walls  of  Troy. 
This  last  insult  to  the  noblest  of  their  sons  Priam 
and  Hecuba  saw  from  the  walls,  and  his  people 
could  scarcely  prevent  the  old  man  from  rushing 
out  to  his  own  death.  And  Hector's  noble  wife 
An  drom'a  che,  as  she  waited  at  home  for  her 
lord's  return,  hearing  the  moans  and  laments 
rushed  in  terror  to  the  walls,  and  seeing  that 
terrible  sight  joined  her  despairing  grief  with 
theirs, 
ine  redemp-  So  Achilles  returned  victorious  from  the  battle 

tion  of  Hec- 
tor's body.       with  all  his  purpose  accomplished,  and  he  held  a 

splendid  funeral  for  Patroclus,  with  a  feast  and 
a  great  sacrifice  and  a  triumphal  procession  about 
his  funeral  pyre.  And  when  the  body  had  been 
burned,  he  gathered  the  ashes  and  put  them  in 
a  golden  urn  and  buried  them  and  raised  over 
them  a  mound.  Then  followed  the  funeral 
games  —  chariot-racing,  boxing,  wrestling,  spear- 


The  Trojan  War 


299 


throwing,  and  other  contests,  and  Achilles  offered 
splendid  prizes,  and  all  the  heroes  entered  the 
lists.  When  this  was  over,  Zeus  sent  Iris  to 
Priam  to  bid  him  go  to  Achilles'  tent  to  ransom 
the  body  of  his  son.  As  Priam  went  in  his  char- 
iot, Hermes  met  him  and  guided  him  safely 
through  the  sleeping  guards  and  brought  him  to 
Achilles'  tent.  And  Achilles,  who  had  been 
\varned  by  Thetis  that  this  was  Zeus's  will,  re- 


Fig.  90.    Priam   ransoming  Hector's   Body. 

ceived  the  old  man  courteously,  and  thinking  of 
his  own  father,  far  away  in  Greece,  whom  he 
should  never  see  again,  spoke  kindly  to  him  and 
granted  his  request.  He  had  the  body  washed 
and  anointed  and  laid  over  it  a  rich  robe  and  set  it 
on  the  wagon.  Then  he  had  a  feast  spread  and  he 
and  his  enemy's  father  ate  and  drank  together,  and 
Priam  gave  a  great  ramson.  So  Priam  brought 
Hector's  body  back  to  the  city,  and  all  Troy  came 


300    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

out  to  meet  him  with  weeping  and  laments,  and 
Achilles  granted  a  truce  of  eleven  days  that  the 
Trojans  might  perform  their  funeral  rites. 
T,he*  I6;!?11        With  the  funeral  of  Hector  the  Iliad  ends,  but 

of   Achilles. 

from  other  sources  we  learn  of  the  later  events 
of  the  war.  Twice  the  hopes  of  the  Trojans 
were  raised  by  the  coming  of  powerful  allies. 
The  first  of  these  was  Pen  thes  i  le'a,  queen  of  the 
Amazons,  who  came  with  her  band  of  warrior 
women  and  brought  momentary  success  to  the 
sinking  cause  of  Troy.  After  many  great  deeds, 
she  fell  in  a  fierce  encounter  with  Achilles,  though 
it  was  said  that  when  her  helmet  fell  off  and  dis- 
closed her  noble  beauty,  the  hero  repented  of  his 
success.  Memnon,  son  of  the  goddess  of  dawn, 
came  from  Ethiopia  with  a  great  following,  and 
he  too  fell  before  Achilles.  But  the  hero's  great 
career  was  run,  and  he  met  his  death,  as  the 
Fates  decreed,  by  the  arrow  of  Paris,  guided  by 
Apollo,  to  pierce  him  in  the  only  vulnerable  spot, 
his  heel.  When  the  Greeks  had  rescued  his  body, 
they  burned  it,  and  putting  his  ashes  in  a  golden 
urn  with  the  ashes  of  his  friend  Patroclus,  raised 
over  it  a  great  mound.  Near  the  shore  of  the 
Dardanelles  at  this  day  there  is  a  hill  that  bears 
the  name  of  the  "  Tomb  of  Achilles."  His  spirit 
joined  the  other  great  heroes  in  the  Elysian 
Fields. 
TheiMtin-  After  this  a  contest  arose  between  Ajax  and 

cidents   of 

the  war.       Odysseus  as  to  which  of  them  should  receive  the 


The  Trojan  War  301 

arms  of  Achilles,  and  when  the  decision  was  given 
in  Odysseus'  favor,  Ajax,  crazed  with  anger, 
made  an  onslaught  on  an  innocent  flock  of  sheep, 
imagining  them  to  be  Odysseus  and  his  followers. 
When  he  came  to  his  senses,  he  killed  himself. 
Then  the  gods  made  it  known  to  the  Greeks  that 
they  could  never  take  Troy  until  Phil  oc  te'tes, 
who  was  the  possessor  of  Heracles'  bow  and  pois- 
oned arrows  (see  p.  227)  should  be  brought  from 
the  island  of  Lesbos,  where  his  comrades  had  most 
cruelly  left  him  suffering  from  a  horrible  wound. 
With  some  difficulty  Philoctetes  was  induced  to 
forego  his  resentment  and  come  to  the  Greek 
camp.  Being  cured  of  his  wound  he  met  Paris 
in  battle  and  killed  him  with  one  of  his  poisoned 
arrows.  Even  then  two  things  were  still  neces- 
sary before  the  gods  would  give  Troy  over  to 
her  enemies.  Achilles'  son  Ne  op  tol'e  mus  had 
to  be  summoned  from  Greece  to  take  his  father's 
place,  and  the  Pal  la'di  um,  or  sacred  image  of 
Athena,  which  had  fallen  from  heaven  long  ago, 
and  on  the  possession  of  which  the  safety  of  the 
city  depended,  must  be  taken.  This  extraordi- 
nary feat  was  performed  by  Odysseus  and  Dio- 
medes,  who,  entering  the  city  by  night,  abstracted 
the  image  from  the  shrine  and  carried  it  to  the 
Greek  camp. 

The  final  device  by  which  Troy  fell  into  the   The  wooden 

*       .  horse. 

hands  of  its  besiegers  was  planned  with  the  help 
of  Athena.  A  huge  hollow  structure  in  the  form 


302     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

of  a  horse  was  set  up  near  the  walls,  and  in  the 
belly  armed  men,  the  bravest  of  the  Greeks,  were 
placed  in  ambush.  Then  the  hosts  sailed  off, 


Fig.  91.    Laocoon  and  his  Sons. 

pretending  to  be  returning  to  Greece,  while,  in 
reality,  they  concealed  themselves  behind  the 
island  of  Tenedos,  ready  to  return  at  a  given 


The  Trojan  War  303 

signal.  The  Trojans  poured  out  of  the  city,  re- 
joicing in  the  unexpected  freedom  and  wondering 
at  the  wooden  horse.  The  question  as  to  what 
it  meant  and  what  should  be  done  with  it  was 
decided  by  the  testimony  of  a  clever  Greek  named 
Sinon,  who,  having  gained  the  confidence  of  the 
Trojans,  explained  the  horse  as  a  final  tribute  to 
Athena,  which,  if  taken  within  the  city  by  the 
people  of  Troy,  would  certainly  protect  them  from 
harm.  La  oc'o  on,  the  priest  of  Apollo,  suspect- 
ing the  wiles  of  the  Greeks,  urged  that  it  be 
thrown  into  the  sea  and  raised  his  weapon  to 
strike  the  wood  a  blow.  Immediately  two  horri- 
ble serpents  appeared  on  the  sea,  and  glided  with 
their  slimy  lengths  over  the  water,  caught  Laocoon 
and  his  two  sons  and  strangled  them  with  their 
coils.  Then  all  believed  that  the  gods  had  sent 
retribution  upon  the  priest  for  his  impious  doubts, 
and  resolved  to  draw  the  horse  within  the  walls 
As  it  was  too  high  to  go  under  the  gates,  a  piece 
of  the  wall  was  thrown  down  and  the  horse 
brought  in  amid  great  rejoicing. 

That  night  while  all  Troy  slept,  the  Greek  spy  The  destine- 

VJ     tion  of  Troy. 

Sinon  unloosed  the  bolts  and  let  out  the  heroes 
concealed  in  the  horse.  At  the  signal  given  by 
fire,  the  fleet  returned  from  Tenedos,  the  gates 
were  opened  from  within,  and  the  Greeks  fell 
upon  the  sleeping  city.  The  brave  resistance  of- 
fered by  the  Trojans,  taken  unawares  in  the 
blackness  of  night,  was  useless.  The  prophetic 


304    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

daughter  of  Priam,  Cas  san'dra,  was  dragged 
from  the  sanctuary  of  Athena  and  carried  into 
slavery;  the  same  fate  overtook  Hector's  wife 


Fig.  92.     Priam  slain  on  the  Altar. 

Andromache,  after  she  had  seen  her  infant  son 
dashed  from  the  wall  that  his  father  had  so  long 
defended.  Priam  was  cut  down  before  the  altar 
in  his  own  palace,  and  all  the  city  sank  in  ashes. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  WANDERINGS  OF  ODYSSEUS 
AFTER  the  fall  of  Troy  the  chiefs  with  their  The  return  of 

the  heroes. 

followers  sailed  for  home.  But  in  those  days 
even  the  comparatively  short  voyage  from  Asia 
Minor  to  Greece  was  filled  with  danger;  more- 
over, some  of  the  heroes  in  the  course  of  that 
long  war  had  incurred  the  enmity  of  one  or  an- 
other of  the  gods,  who,  therefore,  cut  off  alto- 
gether or  delayed  their  return  home.  Certain  of 
the  Trojans  after  long  wanderings  founded  new 
cities  on  strange  shores;  many  of  both  nations 
met  their  death  by  drowning  or  by  the  violence 
of  savage  men  and  monsters;  one  returned  only 
to  be  foully  murdered.  "  The  much  enduring 
Odysseus  "  (more  familiarly  known  by  his  Latin 
name,  Ulysses)  added  ten  years  of  wanderings 
and  of  marvelous  adventures  to  the  ten  years  of 
the  war,  and  returned  home  to  his  faithful  wife 
Penelope  after  an  absence  of  twenty  years. 
Homer  tells  his  story  in  the  Odyssey. 

When  he  had  set  sail  from  Troy  with  his  men   Odysseus 

,       ,  .  „  ,  r    •   i  cornea   to   the 

and  ships,  Odysseus  made  a   fairly  prosperous  Lotus-eaters, 
voyage  as  far  as  the  southern  point  of  Greece 
and  was  within  a  few  days'  sail  of  Ithaca,  his 

305 


306    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

home,  when  a  great  wind  arose  and  drove  him 
from  his  course.  After  nine  days  the  ships  came 
to  land  in  the  Lotus-eaters'  country,  and  the  men 
were  kindly  entertained  and  given  to  eat  of  the 
lotus.  This  plant  had  the  strange  power  of  tak- 
ing from  him  who  ate  of  it  all  remembrance  of 
the  past  and  all  ambition  for  the  future  and  mak- 
ing him  desire  only  to  live  on  in  a  dreamy  and 
effortless  present.  Those  of  Odysseus'  men, 
therefore,  who  had  tasted  the  lotus  could  be 
forced  to  continue  on  their  voyage  only  by  being 
bound  in  the  ships  until  the  effect  of  the  food  had 
worn  off. 

The  cyciops.  The  next  land  reached  by  the  voyagers  was 
very  different,  a  rough  and  rocky  island  inhabited 
by  a  tribe  of  savage  giants,  called  Cy  clo'pes, 
whose  peculiarity  it  was  that  each  had  but  one 
great  eye,  set  in  the  middle  of  his  forehead. 
Leaving  the  rest  of  his  companions  on  another 
island,  Odysseus  beached  his  own  ship  on  the 
shore  of  the  Cyclopes,  and  as  none  of  the  terri- 
ble inhabitants  was  about  at  the  time,  he  and  his 
men  disembarked  and  trustfully  wandered  about 
the  island  until  they  chanced  upon  a  great  cave 
where  a  plentiful  supply  of  milk  and  cheese 
tempted  their  appetites.  While  they  were  eat- 
ing, the  Cyclops  Pol  y  phe'mus  returned,  driving 
his  sheep  before  him,  and  coming  into  the  cave 
closed  its  entrance  with  a  huge  rock.  Though 
his  natural  craftiness  and  caution  led  Odysseus 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     307 

to  conceal  his  true  name  and  give,  when  asked, 
the  name  Noman,  with  apparent  confidence  he 
requested  of  his  monstrous  host  hospitality  and 
the  gifts  that  Greek  courtesy  usually  gave  a  guest 
as  his  due.  But  Zeus  and  his  law  of  hospitality 
were  not  recognized  by  this  savage  giant,  and 
his  only  answer  was  to  seize  two  of  his  guests 
and  devour  them  raw.  Then  he  lay  down  to 
sleep.  In  the  morning,  after  breakfasting  on 
two  more  of  the  men,  he  drove  his  sheep  out 
of  the  cave,  and  rolling  the  stone  against  the 
opening,  left  Odysseus  and  those  of  his  company 
who  remained  uneaten  to  sit  and  wait  for  their 
fiendish  host  to  return  for  his  next  meal.  But 
Odysseus  was  not  the  man  to  sit  and  expect  his 
fate  at  the  hands  of  a  stupid  and  barbarous  Cy- 
clops. He  planned  escape  and  vengeance.  At 
the  fall  of  evening,  when  Polyphemus  returned 
with  his  flocks,  the  wily  hero  talked  pleasantly 
with  him  and  offered  him  some  particularly  fine 
and  strong  wine  that  he  happened  to  have  with 
him.  In  high  good  humor  Polyphemus  washed 
down  his  dinner  of  two  Greeks  with  this  drink  — 
a  pleasant  change  to  one  accustomed  only  to 
sheep's  milk  —  and  stretched  himself  out  to  sleep. 
Then  Odysseus  and  his  men  seized  a  great  long 
pole  which,  during  the  day,  they  had  sharpened 
to  a  point  and  hardened  in  the  fire,  and  using 
all  their  strength,  drove  it  deep  into  the  Cyclops' 
one  eye.  Polyphemus  sprang  up,  bellowing  with 


308    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

pain,  and  madly  called  on  his  brother  Cyclopes 
for  help.  But  when,  hurrying  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  they  asked  him  who  was  troubling  him, 
he  could  only  answer :  "  Noman  is  slaying  me 
by  guile,  nor  at  all  by  force."  So  they  went 
away,  telling  him  to  pray  to  his  father  Poseidon, 
since,  if  no  man  was  killing  him,  it  must  be  by 
the  will  of  the  gods,  whom  no  one  can  resist. 
It  was  now  morning  and  time  to  let  the  sheep 
out,  so  the  Cyclops,  still  groaning  with  pain, 
rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door  and  sat  down 
by  it,  stretching  out  his  hands  to  feel  if  any  man 
passed  out.  Odysseus  took  the  sheep  and  fas- 
tened them  three  together;  he  ordered  one  of  his 
men  to  stretch  himself  flat  on  the  middle  one  of 
each  group,  and  so  all  but  he  passed  out  safely. 
Then  he  himself  clung  firmly  to  the  under  side  of 
the  great  thick-fleeced  ram,  and  the  blind  Cy- 
clops, though  he  felt  over  the  ram's  back  and 
wondered  that  he  should  be  behind  his  flock,  failed 
to  detect  the  hero.  So  the  men  escaped  to  their 
boat.  Although  they  had  been  saved  by  their 
leader's  wits,  they  were  a  second  time  endan- 
gered by  his  rashness,  for  when  they  were  once 
afloat  Odysseus  could  not  resist  calling  back 
tauntingly  to  his  enemy,  and  the  Cyclops,  dashing 
down  to  the  shore,  hurled  immense  rocks  after 
the  departing  ship.  If  his  aim  had  not  been  poor 
because  of  his  blindness,  the  ship  would  surely 
have  been  sunk.  Failing  in  this,  Polyphemus 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus    309 

called  aloud  upon  Poseidon  for  vengeance,  and 
from  that  time  on  the  sea-god  turned  against  the 
heroes  and  relentlessly  kept  them  wandering  over 
the  waters. 

Some  time  after  this  adventure  the  heroes 
came  to  the  floating  island  of  /£'o  lus,  the  king  of 
the  winds.  Here  Odysseus  was  kindly  received 
and  entertained,  and  on  his  departure  was  pre- 
sented by  ^olus  with  a  huge  bag  in  which  were 
imprisoned  all  the  winds  except  the  favorable  west 
wind.  So  after  nine  days'  fair  sailing  they  had 
actually  come  so  near  to  Ithaca  that  they  could  see 
men  moving  on  the  rocks,  and  Odysseus,  for  the 
first  time  feeling  free  from  his  anxieties,  lay  down 
in  the  boat  to  rest.  Then  the  men  conspired  to 
rob  him,  and  supposing  that  the  bag  contained 
precious  treasure  they  eagerly  opened  it.  In  an 
instant  all  the  contrary  winds  rushed  out  together 
and  drove  the  ships  far  off  their  course  straight 
back  to  the  island  of  y£olus.  But  yEolus,  think- 
ing that  one  so  unfortunate  as  Odysseus  must 
for  his  sins  be  under  the  disfavor  of  the  gods, 
sent  him  angrily  away,  refusing  to  give  him  any 
more  help. 

Next  they  came  to  the  land  of  a  people  named 
Laes  try  go'ni  ans,  who  fell  upon  the  strangers  and 
destroyed  eleven  of  the  ships  with  their  com- 
panies. Only  the  twelfth,  with  Odysseus  on 
board,  got  off  in  safety.  In  great  grief  over 
the  loss  of  their  companions,  the  remnant  of 


310    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Odysseus'  company  sailed  on  until  they  came  to 
the  island  of  the  sorceress  Circe.  Having  learned 
discretion  from  his  previous  misfortunes,  Odys- 
seus did  not  risk  all  his  men  at  once,  but  sent 
half,  under  a  trustworthy  leader,  to  explore  the 
country  while  the  other  half  remained  by  the 
shore.  The  scouting  party,  as  they  went  through 
the  woods,  were  alarmed  by  meeting  great  num- 
bers of  lions  and  wolves,  but  as  these  beasts  in- 
stead of  attacking  them  came  and  fawned  upon 
them  appealingly,  they  took  heart  and  continued 
on  their  way  until  they  came  to  a  palace.  The 
peacefulness  of  the  place  and  the  reassuring 
sound  of  a  woman  singing  emboldened  the  ad- 
venturers to  enter.  Circe  turned  from  her  weav- 
ing to  greet  the  strangers  and  hastened  to  set  be- 
fore them  food  and  drink.  The  thirsty  men  did 
not  see  the  magic  drops  their  hostess  mingled  with 
their  wine.  At  a  touch  of  her  wand  the  lordly 
Greeks  dropped  down  and  trotted,  grunting  re- 
proachfully, to  the  sties.  But  one  man,  their 
leader,  had  not  gone  into  the  house  with  them. 
At  their  prolonged  absence  he  became  uneasy  and 
returned  in  haste  to  the  ship  to  tell  what  he  feared. 
So  Odysseus  set  out  alone  to  rescue  his  men.  As 
he  went,  Hermes  met  him  and  warned  him  of 
the  danger  that  lay  before  him  and  gave  him  an 
herb  to  protect  him  against  Circe's  spells.  When, 
therefore,  Circe  received  him  as  she  had  his  fol- 
lowers, and  after  giving  him  the  potion,  raised 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     311 

her  wand  and  ordered  him  to  the  sties,  the  hero 
grappled  with  her  and  threatened  to  kill  her  un- 
less she  at  once  restored  his  men  to  their  proper 
forms.  Recognizing  in  this  successful  resistance 
to  her  magic  the  hand  of  a  god,  and  charmed  by 
her  new  guest's  cleverness  and  strength,  the  sor- 
ceress yielded  to  all  his  demands  and  sending 
for  the  rest  of  the  company  from  the  ship  en- 
tertained them  all  royally  for  a  whole  year.  But 
at  the  end  of  that  time,  when  they  all  began  to 
long  for  the  return  home,  Circe  told  Odysseus 
of  a  terrible  ordeal  that  lay  before  him  before 
he  could  reach  Ithaca.  He,  a  living  man,  must 
go  to  the  realm  of  the  dead  to  consult  the  seer 
Ti  re'si  as. 

With  dread  at  his  heart  Odysseus  followed  out  The  visit  to 

i-  i  i  Hades. 

the  sorceress  directions  and  sailed  on  to  the  very 
edge  of  the  world,  where  the  stream  of  Ocean 
rolls  by  the  land  of  the  Cim  mer'i  ans,  a  land  al- 
ways shrouded  in  mist  and  darkness,  for  the 
sun  never  rises  upon  it.  From  there  he  pro- 
ceeded along  the  shore  of  the  Ocean  until  he 
came  to  the  grove  of  Persephone,  where  was  the 
entrance  to  Hades.  By  the  place  where  the 
rivers  of  the  lower  world,  fiery  Phleg'e  thon,  and 
Co  cy'tus,  the  river  of  wailing,  flow  into  gloomy 
Ach'e  ron,  he  dug  a  trench,  as  Circe  had  directed 
him,  and  poured  a  libation  to  the  dead.  Then 
he  sacrificed  black  sheep  and  let  their  blood  run 
into  the  trench.  And  the  shades  of  the  dead 


312    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

crowded  around  with  ghostly  cries,  eager  to  drink 
of  the  blood, —  boys  and  maidens,  and  warriors 
that  had  fallen  in  battle.  But  Odysseus  kept  them 
off  with  his  sword  that  the  shade  of  the  seer 
Tiresias  might  first  drink  and  tell  him  what  he 
wished  to  know.  So  Tiresias  came  and  drank, 
and  prophesied  to  the  hero  his  safe  home-coming 
and  how  he  should  find  violent  men  wasting  his 
substance  and  should  kill  them  all  and  so  live  to  an 
old  age  in  peace  and  plenty  among  a  happy  peo- 
ple. But  then  he  told  him,  too,  of  Poseidon's 
anger  at  the  mutilation  of  his  son  Polyphemus, 
and  that  yet  for  many  years  he  would  keep  Odys- 
seus away  from  Ithaca,  and  he  warned  him  es- 
pecially that  destruction  would  overtake  them  all 
if  they  should  injure  the  cattle  of  the  sun  when 
they  came  to  the  island  of  Trinacria.  When  the 
seer  had  finished,  Odysseus'  mother  came,  and 
when  she  had  drunk  of  the  blood  she  knew  her 
son  and  told  him  of  her  own  death,  caused  by 
grief  at  his  long  absence,  and  of  his  old  father, 
and  of  his  wife  Pe  nel'o  pe,  and  his  little  son  Te- 
lem'a  chus.  But  when  he  tried  to  embrace  her, 
like  a  shadow  or  a  dream  she  faded  away.  Then 
there  came  about  him  many  of  the  women  famous 
in  story  —  Leda,  the  mother  of  Helen  and  of 
Castor  and  Polydeuces;  Alcmena,  Heracles' 
mother ;  Ariadne,  whom  Theseus  had  deserted  on 
Naxos,  and  many  others.  He  saw  and  talked 
with  the  heroes  who  had  fought  with  him  at 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     313 

Troy  —  Agamemnon,  who  told  him  of  his  treach- 
erous murder,  and  Achilles,  preeminent  here  as 
in  the  world  above.  There  were  the  heroes  of 
ancient  times,  even  the  shade  of  great  Heracles 
—  the  shade  only,  for  he  himself  was  now  a  god 
in  Olympus.  There  he  saw  Minos  sitting  as 
judge,  and  those  who  had  sinned  against  the  gods 
suffering  eternal  punishment,  Tantalus,  Sisyphus, 
and  others. 

Returning  safely  from  that  land  that  so  few   The  sirens, 
living  men  have  ever  visited,  the  company  stopped 


Fig.  93.    Odysseus  and  the  Sirens. 

once  more  at  Circe's  island.  There  they  were  en- 
tertained for  a  day  while  Circe  told  Odysseus  of 
the  dangers  that  next  confronted  him  and  how  he 


314    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

might  win  safely  through  them.  From  there 
they  sailed  on  until  they  saw  on  the  shore  at  a 
distance  the  meadow  of  the  Sirens,  who  bewitch 
men  by  their  songs.  But  Odysseus  stuffed  his 
companions'  ears  with  wax  and  had  himself 
bound  hand  and  foot  to  the  mast,  as  Circe  had 
told  him.  And  when  the  ship  came  near,  the 
Sirens  called  to  him  to  leap  from  the  deck  and 
come  to  them,  for  they  had  knowledge  of  past 
and  future  and  could  give  him  happiness.  So 
he  tried  to  break  away  and  go  to  them,  and 
he  made  signs  to  the  others  to  loose  him,  but 
they  pulled  steadily  on  and  so  escaped  that  dan- 
ger. 

Soon  two  cliffs  appeared,  rising  one  on  either 
side  of  the  course  between  Italy  and  Sicily;  in 
the  one  crouched  Scylla,  her  twelve  feet  dangling 
down  from  the  cave,  and  her  six  heads  turning 
in  every  direction  in  search  of  ships.  On  the 
other  side  was  a  lower  cliff  with  a  fig  tree  at 
the  top,  and  below  it  Char  yb'dis,  who  three  times 
a  day  sucked  in  the  water  and  cast  it  out  again. 
As  the  ship  passed  through,  keeping,  as  Circe 
had  told  them,  well  away  from  Charybdis,  Scylla 
stretched  her  long  necks  forward  and  seized  a 
man  in  each  of  her  terrible  jaws.  As  they  were 
drawn  up,  squirming  like  fishes  caught  on  a  hook, 
they  cried  out  in  anguish  to  Odysseus,  and  all 
that  were  left  of  that  company  shuddered  as  they 
passed  on. 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     315 

Towards  nightfall  Odysseus  saw  before  them    The  cattle 

e  J f  of  the  Sun. 

the  island  of  the  Sun,  Trinacria,  and  he  ordered 
his  men  to  row  on,  remembering  the  warnings 
of  Tiresias  and  Circe.  But  they  were  exhausted 
with  hard  rowing  and  the  strain  of  the  terrible 
meeting  with  Scylla  and  insisted  upon  landing 
for  the  night.  The  next  morning  unfavorable 
winds  were  blowing,  and  continued  for  a  whole 
month,  until  all  the  food  and  wine  was  exhausted. 
Then  while  Odysseus  was  sleeping,  his  companions 
preferring  any  other  form  of  death  to  starvation, 
killed  some  of  the  sacred  cattle  that  grazed  on 
that  island  and  made  a  feast.  When  Odysseus 
awoke  and  saw  it,  he  knew  that  destruction  had 
come  upon  them,  for  the  empty  hides  crept  mys- 
teriously, and  the  flesh  on  the  spits  bellowed.  At' 
last  favorable  winds  blew,  and  they  put  out  to 
sea.  But  the  sun-god  had  complained  to  Zeus 
of  the  loss  of  his  cattle,  threatening  that  if  his 
wrong  were  not  avenged  he  would  leave  the  world 
in  darkness  and  go  to  shine  among  the  dead.  So 
Zeus  sent  a  storm  to  overtake  the  ship,  and  all 
the  men  were  swept  into  the  sea  and  drowned, 
and  only  Odysseus  clung  to  the  boat.  He  was 
carried  straight  back  to  Charybdis,  who,  as  she 
threw  out  the  water,  shattered  and  then  swallowed 
down  the  ship;  Odysseus  escaped  only  by  grasp- 
ing hold  of  the  fig  tree  when  the  water  cast  him 
up.  There  he  hung  suspended  until  Charybdis 
heaved  up  the  wreckage  of  the  ship  again.  Then 


316    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

he  dropped  upon  one  of  its  timbers  and  rowed 
with  his  hands  until  he  was  out  of  reach  of  the 
whirlpool, 
calypso's       After  this  hairbreadth  escape  the  hero,  now 

island. 

quite  without  companions,  was  washed  ashore  on 
the  island  of  Ca  1  yp'so,  the  daughter  of  Atlas. 
There  he  lived  for  eight  years  in  the  company  of 
the  charming  nymph,  eating  and  drinking  of  the 
best  and  living  the  most  peaceful  and  luxurious 
of  lives  on  that  beautiful  island.  Yet  he  did  not 
forget  his  home  and  his  wife,  but  sat  day  after 
day  by  the  sea  eating  out  his  heart  with  home- 
sickness. For,  as  he  himself  said: 

Surely  there  is  naught  sweeter  than  a  man's 
own  country  and  his  parents,  even  though  he  dwell  far 
off  in  a  rich  house,  in  a  strange  land,  far  from  them 
that  begat  him.  (Odyssey,  IX.  34  ff.) 

At  last,  at  the  complaint  of  Athena  that  her 
favorite  was  kept  too  long  away  from  home, 
Zeus  sent  Hermes  to  command  Calypso  to  let  him 
go.  Yielding  unwillingly,  she  gave  him  the  tools 
and  material  to  construct  a  raft  and  a  sail,  and 
when  it  was  ready,  she  stocked  it  with  food  and 
wine  and  gave  him  clothes  and  rich  gifts  and 
so  sent  him  away.  For  eighteen  days  he  had 
sailed  prosperously  along  on  his  raft  before 
Poseidon  caught  sight  of  him,  and  still  brooding 
over  the  injury  to  Polyphemus,  sent  a  furious 
storm  against  him.  The  sail  was  carried  away 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     317 

and  the  raft  itself  was  swept  and  torn  by  the 
waves.  To  the  solitary  adventurer  out  on  those 
wide  waters  it  seemed  that  his  own  gods  had 
deserted  him  and  that  death  was  close  upon  him. 
But  a  sea-goddess  saw  and  pitied  him,  and  rising 
in  the  foam  beside  him  held  out  to  him  her  filmy 
scarf  and  spoke  wisely  and  reassuringly.  Borne 
up  by  the  new  courage  she  inspired  and  by  the 
mysterious  power  of  the  scarf,  Odysseus  struck 
bravely  out  when  the  raft  finally  parted,  and 
swimming  continuously  for  two  days  and  two 
nights,  came  at  last  in  sight  of  land.  But  the 
waves  were  breaking  high  on  the  rocky  coast, 
and  the  exhausted  swimmer  was  beaten  against 
the  rocks  and  again  sucked  back  by  the  undertow 
until  it  seemed  he  must  go  under.  At  one  point 
a  back  current  offered  possible  landing;  there  he 
managed  to  come  to  land  and  drew  his  bruised 
and  soaked  limbs  up  on  the  shore.  Among  the 
bushes  on  the  bank  he  lay  down  and  fell  into  the 
sleep  of  exhaustion. 

The  shore  on  which  Odysseus  had  landed  was 
that  of  the  Phae  a'ci  ans,  a  good  and  prosperous 
people  at  peace  with  all  the  world  and  in  great 
favor  with  the  gods.  On  the  night  of  the  hero's 
perilous  landing  the  king's  daughter  Nau  sic'a  a 
had  been  bidden  by  Athena  in  a  dream  to  go  down 
to  the  shore  to  wash  her  clothes  in  preparation 
for  her  coming  wedding  day.  As  her  father  had 
not  yet  even  decided  upon  any  one  of  her  suitors 


318    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

as  her  husband,  the  princess  felt  shy  about  sug- 
gesting wedding  preparations,  but  not  wishing  to 
displease  the  goddess,  she  modestly  asked  for  the 
ox-cart  that  she  and  her  maidens  might  carry 
down  her  brothers'  clothes  to  wash  them  in  the 
sea.  The  cart  was  brought  around,  the  queen 
packed  a  basket  with  bread  and  honey  and  wine, 
and  the  young  girls  drove  off  for  the  shore. 
When  the  clothes  had  all  been  washed  and  spread 
out  in  the  sun  to  bleach,  they  sat  down  on  the 


Fig.  94.     Odysseus   appearing   before   Nausicaa. 

grass  to  eat  the  food  the  queen  had  provided,  and 
then,  tucking  up  their  skirts,  they  joined  in  a  game 
of  ball.  It  happened  that  the  spot  they  had 
chosen  for  their  noisy  fun  was  close  to  the  place 
where  Odysseus  had  all  this  time  been  lying 
asleep.  What  was  the  astonishment  and  terror 
of  the  girls  when  suddenly  a  strange  and  wild- 
looking  man  appeared  in  their  midst!  Only 
Nausicaa  stood  her  ground  with  dignity,  and 
when  the  hero  approached  and  begged  for  help 
and  hospitable  treatment,  she  showed  him  every 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     319 

kindness.  She  gave  him  oil  to  anoint  his  lame 
and  battered  limbs  and  some  of  her  brothers' 
newly  washed  clothes  to  put  on,  and  bade  him 
follow  her  to  the  city,  where  her  father  would 
entertain  him.  Being  a  prudent  girl  and  fearing 
gossip  if  she  appeared  in  company  with  a  hand- 
some stranger  ( for  the  oil  and  the  fresh  clothes 
had  restored  Odysseus'  fine  appearance),  she 
thought  it  best  not  to  take  him  with  her  in  the 
ox-cart. 

As  Odysseus,  so  long  an  exile  from  civilized  JJ« 
human  life,  approached  the  king's  palace,  he  won- 
dered at  the  great  wharves  thronged  with  ships 
and  at  the  beautiful  city  with  its  fine  streets  and 
houses  and  its  busy  and  prosperous  people,  and 
more  than  ever  a  longing  came  over  him  for  his 
own  well-ordered  land.  The  considerate  and 
gentle  treatment  he  received  when  he  presented 
himself  as  a  stranger  before  the  king  and  queen 
proved  that  the  reputation  of  the  Phaeacians  was 
not  undeserved.  For  they  provided  him  with 
warm  baths  and  entertained  him  royally  with  a 
feast  and  music,  dancing  and  athletic  sports,  nor 
did  they  so  forget  the  courtesy  of  hosts  as  ever 
to  show  curiosity  about  who  the  stranger  was 
or  on  what  business  he  was  bent.  When,  how- 
ever, the  proper  time  had  come,  Odysseus  told 
them  all  his  story  since  the  day  that  Troy  fell, 
and  he  ended  with  earnest  entreaties  that  his  hosts 
would  provide  him  with  a  ship  and  oarsmen  to 


320    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

set  him  across  the  sea  to  Ithaca.  So  they  gave 
him  all  that  he  asked  and  added  splendid  gifts, 
more  valuable  than  all  the  booty  he  had  gathered 
at  Troy  and  then  lost  in  his  wanderings.  While 
he  slept,  for  he  was  still  overcome  with  weari- 
ness, he  was  set  ashore  on  the  island  of  Ithaca. 
Then  those  generous  Phseacians  received  a  poor 
reward  for  their  hospitality,  for  as  the  ship  re- 
turned, Poseidon  rooted  it  fast  in  the  sea  and 
turned  it  to  stone,  to  a  little  rocky  island  that  still 
lies  there  off  the  island  of  Corfu  and  by  its  name, 
"  The  Island  of  Ulysses,"  witnesses  to  the  truth 
of  the  story. 

Penelope's  The  twenty  long  years  of  the  hero's  absence 
had  brought  anxiety  and  distress  to  his  people 
and  to  his  wife  and  son.  For  after  the  news  of 
the  fall  of  Troy  had  reached  Ithaca,  and  the  other 
Greek  princes  who  were  still  alive  had  returned 
to  Greece,  and  still  no  word  came  of  Odysseus, 
it  came  to  be  commonly  believed  that  he  was  dead, 
and  a  great  number  of  suitors  from  Ithaca  and 
elsewhere  began  to  demand  Penelope  in  mar- 
riage. Telemachus  wras  still  too  young  success- 
fully to  defend  his  mother  from  their  insolent 
insistence  or  his  house  from  their  greedy  vio- 
lence, and  year  after  year  saw  them  living  riot- 
ously and  extravagantly  on  their  absent  host's 
hospitality.  The  faithful  Penelope,  still  hoping 
against  hope  for  her  noble  husband's  return,  put 
them  all  off  from  day  to  day  with  a  device  that 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     321 

was  worthy  of  her  crafty  husband.  Promising 
that  she  would  make  a  decision  so  soon  as  she 
had  completed  a  shroud  she  was  weaving  for  her 
old  father  against  his  death,  she  spent  her  days 
in  the  chambers  among  her  maidens,  weaving  her 
great  web,  and  at  night  when  no  one  was  by  to 
see,  she  unraveled  all  that  she  had  done  the  day 
before.  For  three  years  the  suitors  had  been  de- 
ceived, but  at  last  they  had  learned  of  the  trick 
and  were  now  pressing  more  insistently  than  ever 
for  a  decision. 

Meanwhile,  as  Telemachus  grew  to  be  a  young 
man,  more  and  more  he  chafed  at  the  wasting  his  father- 
of  his  inheritance  and  the  arrogant  behavior  of 
the  suitors,  yet  he  was  unable  either  to  turn  them 
out  of  his  house  or  to  protect  his  mother  from 
their  persistency.  Shortly  before  Odysseus' 
landing  at^^fftaca,  however,  the  goddess  Athena, 
extending  to  his  son  the  favor  she  had  always 
shown  to  Odysseus,  roused  him  to  brave  the  anger 
of  the  suitors  and  go  in  search  of  his  father. 
With  the  goddess  as  guide  he  came  first  to  the 
court  of  Nestor  and  afterwards  to  that  of 
Menelaiis.  Both  heroes  received  the  son  of  their 
old  comrade  with  cordial  kindness,  but  the  aged 
Nestor  could  tell  him  nothing  of  his  father. 
Menelaiis,  however,  had  heard  from  Proteus,  the 
prophetic  old  man  of  the  sea,  that  Odysseus  was 
held  captive  on  an  island  by  the  nymph  Calypso. 
Strengthened  in  his  resistance  to  the  suitors  by 


322     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  knowledge  that  his  father  was  still  living, 
Telemachus  started  on  his  return  voyage.  But 
the  suitors,  made  anxious  by  the  increased  cour- 
age and  determination  the  young  man  had  dis- 
played in  equipping  a  ship  and  venturing  across 
the  seas,  planned  to  catch  him  on  his  return  and 
take  his  life. 
Odysseus  in  When  Odysseus  awoke  on  the  shore  of  his  own 

the   swine- 
herd's hut.     island,  Athena  appeared  to  him  and  warned  him 

of  the  dangers  that  still  awaited  him.  To  secure 
him  further  she  changed  his  appearance  to  that 
of  an  old  and  ragged  beggar.  It  was  in  this  dis- 
guise that  he  presented  himself  at  the  hut  of  the 
faithful  old  swineherd  Eu  mae'us  and  asked  for 


Fig.  95.    Odysseus  makes  himself  known  to  Telemachus. 

food  and  shelter.  True  to  the  hospitable  custom 
of  his  absent  master,  the  swineherd  received  the 
old  stranger  with  kindness,  and  while  he  set  be- 
fore him  the  best  he  could  provide,  entertained 
him  with  an  account  of  the  sorry  state  of  affairs 
on  the  island,  speaking  always  of  his  lord  Odys- 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus    323 

seus  with  loyal  and  affectionate  regret.  As  they 
talked,  Telemachus,  just  landed  and  happily  es- 
caped from  the  ambush  set  for  him,  appeared 
at  the  hut.  His  father's  heart  rejoiced  to  see  the 
boy  grown  so  strong  and  confident,  and  to  re- 
ceive at  his  hands  the  fine  courtesy  and  respect 
for  age  that  distinguished  noble  Greeks.  But  he 
restrained  his  feelings,  and  not  until  Eumaeus  was 
called  away,  leaving  father  and  son  alone  to- 
gether, did  he  reveal  himself  to  Telemachus.  So 
the  two  planned  together  the  destruction  of  the 
troublesome  suitors,  and  before  the  swineherd  re- 
turned Odysseus  had  resumed  his  disguise.  Odysseus 

Not  as  an  honored  hero  returning  from  the  war  suitors, 
did  Odysseus  reenter  his  home  after  his  twenty 
years  of  absence,  but  as  an  old  and  wretched  beg- 
gar asking  for  charity.  Yet  even  so  two  faith- 
ful friends  knew  him.  His  old  hunting-dog,  ly- 
ing neglected  in  the  dirt  outside  the  door,  knew 
his  master  as  he  passed  by  means  of  that  strange 
dog's  sense  that  humans  cannot  understand,  and 
with  one  last  pricking  of  the  ears  and  feeble  wag- 
ging of  his  tail,  died  happy.  The  second  friend 
who  knew  him  was  not  his  wife,  who,  though 
she  had  him  brought  to  her  to  ask  him  for  any 
news  of  her  husband  he  might  have  learned  on 
his  travels,  gave  him  only  that  attention  she  gave 
to  every  stranger.  It  was  his  old  nurse  Eu  ry- 
cle'a  who,  as  at  Penelope's  command  she  washed 
the  old  stranger's  feet,  saw  a  scar  he  had  had 


324    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

since  he  was  a  boy  and  at  once  knew  him.  In 
the  great  hall  where  the  arrogant  suitors  sat  all 
day  and  feasted  none  knew  that  despised  old  man, 
and  all  with  one  accord  joined  in  scornful  and 
ungenerous  treatment  of  him.  For  how  could 
Zeus's  law  of  hospitality  bind  men  who  so  dis- 
honored an  absent  hero's  house  and  so  persecuted 
the  unprotected?  It  was  only  by  the  spirited  in- 
terference of  Telemachus,  supported  by  the  less 
shameless  of  the  princes,  that  Odysseus  was 
saved  from  violence.  At  last  Athena  put  it  into 
Penelope's  mind  to  appear  among  the  suitors 
with  the  great  bow  her  lord  had  left  behind  him, 
and  announce  that  she  would  keep  them  waiting 
no  longer,  but  that  to  him  who  was  man  enough 
to  bend  that  bow  and  shoot  through  the  holes  in 
nine  ax-heads  set  up  before  them  she  would  give 
herself  as  wife.  All  tried,  boastfully  and  hope- 
fully, and  all  failed  even  to  bend  the  bow.  Then 
the  old  beggar  rose  and  demanded  that  he  be 
allowed  to  make  the  trial.  Amid  the  jeers  and 
disgusted  protests  of  the  princes  he  received  the 
bow  from  Penelope's  hand.  The  tough  wood 
bent,  the  arrow  whizzing  from  the  string  pierced 
through  the  nine  axes.  Then  his  disguise  fell 
from  him,  and  standing  revealed  the  hero  turned 
his  arrows  now  this  way,  now  that,  upon  those 
wretched  suitors.  By  order  of  Telemachus  all 
the  weapons  had  been  removed  from  the  hall  the 
night  before,  and  the  faithful  swineherd  and  an 


The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus     325 

equally  faithful  keeper  of  cattle  had  been  posted 
at  the  exits.  So  the  men  were  slaughtered  like 
sheep,  and  Odysseus  and  his  son  would  have  met 
with  no  resistance  had  not  a  disloyal  slave 
smuggled  in  some  swords  and  shields  for  those 
who  had  not  yet  fallen.  Even  against  these  odds 


Fig.  96.    Odysseus  avenging  himself  upon  the  Suitors. 

the  father  and  son,  aided  by  their  protectress 
Athena,  were  victorious,  and  not  one  of  the  suit- 
ors or  their  followers  lived  to  leave  that  hall  of 
death.  At  the  end  of  this  bloody  act  Odysseus 
made  himself  known  to  his  wife;  the  house  was 
cleansed  of  its  murderous  stains,  and  a  period  of 
peace  and  prosperity  followed  the  hardships  of 
those  twenty  years. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  TRAGEDY  OF  AGAMEMNON 
ciytemnestra       WHEN  Agamemnon  went  to  lead  the  armies  of 

and  JEgis- 

thus.  Greece  against  Troy  in  vengeance  for  the  wrong 

done  to  his  brother  Menelaiis,  he  left  both  the 
care  of  his  children  and  the  rule  of  his  wide  king- 
dom to  his  wife  Cly  tern  nes'tra.  Though  no  pro- 
tracted wanderings  doubled  for  him,  as  for 
Ulysses,  the  time  of  his  absence,  the  avenging 
fates  had  prepared  for  his  home-coming  a  trag- 
edy so  black  as  to  be  the  fitting  culmination  to 
the  course  of  crime  and  horror  that  marked  the 
history  of  his  race.  JE  gis'thus,  Agamemnon's 
cousin,  who  was  at  once  the  guilty  lover  and  the 
associate  in  power  of  Ciytemnestra,  was  a  son 
of  that  Thyestes  who,  ignorant  of  what  he  did, 
had  been  forced  by  his  brother  Atreus  to  eat  of 
the  flesh  of  his  own  son,  served  to  him  at  a  feast. 
(See  p.  282.)  The  hatred  engendered  by  this 
horrible  crime  had  been  handed  down  from  father 
to  son,  and  -^gisthus  only  waited  an  opportunity 
to  avenge  his  father's  wrong  on  Atreus'  son  Aga- 
memnon. Ciytemnestra,  too,  in  addition  to  her 
secret  passion  for  ^gisthus,  had  other  causes  to 
wish  her  husband's  death.  Ever  since  that  day 
326 


The  Tragedy  of  Agamemnon     327 

when,  under  pretense  of  giving  his  daughter  in 
marriage  to  Achilles,  Agamemnon  had  summoned 
his  wife  to  bring  Iphigenia  to  Aulis  and  had  then 
offered  the  maiden  in  sacrifice  to  Artemis,  Cly- 
temnestra  had  nourished  fierce  resentment  to- 
wards her  lord  and  with  ^Egisthus  secretly 
planned  his  ruin. 

At  last  the  watchman,  who  from  his  high  tower  The  murder 

of  Agamem- 

had  watched  and  waited  for  nine  long  years  for  ™>n. 
the  beacon  light  that  was  to  tell  the  fall  of  Troy 
and  the  return  of  his  conquering  lord,  announced 
that  the  fiery  signal  had  been  passed  along  and 
Agamemnon  was  at  hand.  Preparations  were 
made  for  his  honorable  reception,  and  the  citi- 
zens joyfully  gathered  to  greet  him.  He  came 
accompanied  by  those  of  his  followers  who  still 
survived,  and  bringing  with  him  as  a  slave, 
Priam's  daughter  Cassandra,  to  whom  Apollo, 
because  he  loved  her,  had  given  the  gift  of  proph- 
ecy, and  because  she  rejected  his  love,  had  added 
the  curse  that  her  prophecies  should  never  be 
believed.  As  the  king  in  his  chariot  drew  up  be- 
fore the  palace,  the  great  doors  opened,  and 
Clytemnestra  in  festal  robes  came  out  to  greet 
her  lord  and  with  feigned  honor  and  affection 
led  him  within.  The  palace  doors  closed  behind 
them.  Then  Cassandra,  who  had  refused  to  leave 
the  chariot,  raised  her  prophetic  voice  in  lamen- 
tation and  unintelligible  warning  of  coming  trag- 
edy. All  the  bloody  and  unnatural  crimes  of 


328     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

that  house  rose  before  her,  and  she  saw  them 
about  to  be  crowned  by  another  yet  more  terri- 
ble. But  none  could  understand  her  warnings; 
only  when  a  great  cry  of  agony  rose  from  within 
those  closed  doors  and  was  repeated  again  and 
again  did  her  meaning  become  plain.  Insolent 
in  her  vengeance,  Clytemnestra  threw  wide  the 
doors  and  displayed  the  body  of  her  husband 
bleeding  from  the  wounds  she  had  inflicted  as  he 
stepped  into  the  bath  prepared  to  make  him 
ready  for  the  feast  of  his  home-coming.  Cas- 
sandra too  met  death  at  the  hand  of  jealous  Cly- 
temnestra. 
orestes  The  terrible  law  of  retribution  in  those  days 

avenges  his  .  . 

father.  required  of  a  son  to  avenge  his  father,  and  Cly- 
temnestra and  /Egisthus,  knowing  this,  would 
have  slaughtered  Agamemnon's  little  son  O  res'tes 
had  not  his  older  sister  E  lec'tra  sent  him  out 
of  the  country  for  safe-keeping.  That  Electra 
herself  might  never  be  in  a  position  of  influence 
to  arouse  a  revolt  against  the  murderers,  she  was 
compelled  to  become  the  wife  of  a  humble  serv- 
ant. She  could  only  pray  that  the  distant  brother 
would  return  when  the  time  came  to  fulfil  his 
duty  of  vengeance.  And  when  the  time  came 
and  Orestes  with  his  faithful  friend  Py'la  des 
arrived,  the  brother  and  sister,  meeting  before 
their  father's  tomb  were  in  full  agreement  about 
the  duty  before  them.  Egisthus  and  Clytemnes- 
tra were  celebrating  a  religious  feast  when  Ores- 


The  Tragedy  of  Agamemnon     329 

ies  came  upon  them,  and  taking  them  unawares, 
killed  them  both. 

This  revolting  murder  of  a  mother  by  her  son,   Orestes- 

madness  and 

though  done  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  venge-  purification, 
ance,  brought  defilement  and  the  anger  of  the 
gods.  The  Eu  men'i  des,  or  Furies,  the  divine 
avengers  of  crime,  pursued  Orestes  and  drove 
him  mad.  He  wandered  from  land  to  land,  al- 
ways accompanied  by  his  faithful  friend  Pylades, 
until  at  the  god's  command  he  came  to  the  land 
of  the  Taurians  to  obtain  the  sacred  image  of  the 
goddess  Artemis.  It  was  to  this  land  that  Iphi- 
genia  had  been  carried  by  Artemis  when  she  was 
saved  by  her  at  Aulis,  and  here  she  had  lived 
ever  since,  serving  as  Artemis'  priestess  in  her 
temple.  In  accordance  with  the  barbarous  cus- 
tom of  this  country  all  strangers  who  landed  on 
their  shores  were  offered  in  sacrifice  to  the  god- 
dess, and  it  was  to  Iphigenia  that  the  duty  of 
this  sacrifice  fell.  When  Orestes  and  Pylades 
were  about  to  be  offered  up,  however,  they  be- 
came known  to  the  priestess,  and  through  her 
extraordinary  power  and  influence  they  were  en- 
abled to  secure  the  sacred  image  of  Artemis  and 
escape  unharmed,  carrying  Iphigenia  with  them. 
Even  then,  before  Orestes  could  be  purified  of 
his  crime,  he  was  compelled  to  appear  before  the 
A  re  o'pa  gus,  the  great  Athenian  court  of  jus- 
tice. Here  the  Eumenides  acted  as  his  accusers, 
and  though  he  pleaded  in  defense  Apollo's  ap- 


330    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

proval  of  his  act,  the  court  was  equally  divided 
on  the  question.  Athena  cast  the  deciding  vote 
for  acquittal,  the  Eumenides  left  him,  and  the 
curse  on  the  family  of  Pelops  had  run  its  course. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  LEGENDARY  ORIGIN  OF  ROME 

THE  Romans,  tracing  the  history  of  their  raq 
back  beyond  the  times  when  events  were  recordec 
in  history  into  the  realm  of  tradition  and  myth, 
honored  yE  ne'as,  the  son  of  An  chi'ses,  by  the 
goddess  Venus,  as  the  founder  of  their  race. 
Throughout  the  Trojan  War  yEneas  had  proved 
himself  one  of  the  bravest  and  ablest  leaders  of 
the  Trojan  forces,  standing  next,  perhaps,  to 
Hector  in  general  esteem.  On  the  occasion  of 
his  single  combat  with  Diomedes  his  goddess- 
mother  had  intervened  to  save  his  life;  he  had 
joined  in  the  contest  over  Patroclus'  body  and  had 
even  stood  to  meet  the  invincible  Achilles.  So 
much  we  learn  from  Homer,  but  it  is  the  Latin 
poet  Vergil  who  narrates  the  full  story  of  ^Eneas' 
deeds  and  wanderings,  making  him  the  central  fig- 
ure in  his  great  Roman  national  epic,  the  JEneid. 

On  the  night  when,  neglecting  the  wise  coun- 
sels of  Laocoon,  the  Trojans  had  drawn  the  taSuag  Troy, 
wooden  horse  within  their  walls,  the  weary  citi- 
zens, relieved  of  immediate  anxiety  by  the  ap- 
parent departure  of  the  Greeks,  had  given  them- 
selves up  to  much  needed  rest  and  sleep.  ^Eneas' 

33i 


332     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

rest  was  disturbed  by  the  vision  of  his  dead  cousin 
Hector  appearing  before  him,  all  bloody  from  the 
wounds  he  had  received  at  Achilles'  hands,  and 


Fig.  97.     Mneas  Wounded. 

bidding  him  arouse  himself  and  see  the  destruc- 
tion that  had  at  last  come  upon  Troy.  Spring- 
ing up,  the  hero  rushed  to  the  roof  of  his  house 
and  from  that  point  could  see  that  the  city  was 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome     333 

already  in  the  hands  of  its  foes.  Reckless  of 
personal  danger  and  caring  little  for  his  own  life 
if  he  might  yet  bring  some  support  to  his  falling 
city,  he  led  a  band  of  Trojans  in  one  last  desper- 
ate struggle.  Driven  from  one  point  to  another 
he  came  at  last  to  Priam's  palace  and  saw  the  old 
king  lying  slain  before  his  household  altar,  his 
last  son  lying  near  him  and  his  women  huddled 
together  in  despair.  But  the  fates  decreed  that 
/Eneas  should  not  perish  in  burning  Troy,  but 
should  live  to  found  a  new  and  greater  city  on  the 
banks  of  Tiber.  Venus  appeared  to  her  son,  and 
"  drawing  aside  the  veil  that  dims  mortal  sight," 
showed  him  the  gods  directing  the  destruction 
of  the  city.  Then  y£neas  yielded  and  hurried 
at  once  to  his  home  to  save  his  own  family.  Bid- 
ding his  father  Anchises  take  up  the  images  of 
the  Penates  or  family  gods,  he  took  the  old  man 
upon  his  back,  seized  his  little  son  As  ca'ni  us,  or 
I  u'lus,  by  the  hand,  and  bidding  his  wife  Cre- 
u'sa  follow  close  behind,  he  made  his  way 
through  the  flames  and  confusion  to  a  place  of 
safety  outside  the  walls.  Not  until  he  had  passed 
the  city  gate  did  he  discover  that  his  wife  was 
not  following.  In  his  distracted  and  hopeless 
search  for  her  he  met  only  her  shade  which  came 
to  tell  him  that  the  gods  detained  her  on  those 
shores  and  that  it  was  their  will  that  he  should 
go  on  his  way  without  her.  Other  Trojans  who 
had  escaped  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  joined 


334     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

the  little  group  in  their  place  of  hiding  between 
the  mountains  and  the  sea,  and  here  they  built  and 
fitted  out  twelve  ships  on  which  the  next  spring 
they  set  sail. 

Then  began  a  period  of  wandering  almost  as 

wanderings.  3 

full  of  adventure  as  the  nine  years  of  Ulysses' 
seafaring.  First  the  company  landed  in  Thrace, 
where  ^Eneas  hoped  to  found  a  new  city,  but  the 
strange  portent  of  a  bush  which,  when  uprooted, 
dripped  blood  and  spoke  in  the  voice  of  Priam's 
murdered  son  Pol  y  dor'us  39  drove  them  to  seek 
a  more  propitious  land.  They  sailed  to  Delos 
to  consult  Apollo,  and  understanding  a  refer- 
ence of  the  oracle  to  an  ancestral  home  as  mean- 
ing Crete,  whence,  tradition  held,  their  fore- 
fathers had  gone  to  Troy,  they  made  their  way 
thither.  While  they  were  building  the  new  city, 
a  terrible  pestilence  fell  upon  them,  blighting  the 
grain  and  killing  men  and  beasts.  Then  the  Pe- 
nates warned  /Eneas  in  a  dream  that  the  ancestral 
land  Apollo  prophesied  was  Hesperia,  or  Italy, 
whence,  as  legend  told,  Dardanus,  the  ancestor 
of  the  Trojans,  had  originally  come.  In  pain 
and  grief,  but  still  hopeful,  the  diminished  band 
started  on  their  western  voyage;  but  a  terrible 

39  During  the  war  Priam  had  sent  Polydorus,  only  a  boy 
at  the  time,  to  seek  protection  with  the  king  of  Thrace, 
but  when  the  news  of  the  rail  of  Troy  came  to  him,  the 
king  murdered  his  charge  and  seized  the  treasure  that 
Priam  had  sent  with  him. 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    335 

storm  drove  the  ships  out  of  their  course  to  the 
island  of  the  Strophades,  haunted  by  those  dread- 
ful Harpies  which  the  Argonauts  had  met. 
While  the  exhausted  sailors  were  feasting,  these 
horrible  bird-women  swooped  down  and  seized  the 
food  off  the  tables.  Driven  off  by  the  men,  they 
yet  left  despair  behind  them,  for  their  leader 
prophesied  a  long  and  destructive  voyage,  and 
that  finally  the  day  should  come  when  hunger 
would  force  the  wanderers  to  eat  their  own  tables. 
Leaving  the  Strophades  the  Trojans  sailed  north- 
ward along  the  coast  of  Epirus,  passing  Odys- 
seus' rocky  island  of  Ithaca  and  the  coast  of  the 
Phseacians,  and  landing  finally  in  a  harbor  further 
up  the  coast.  Here  they  were  overjoyed  to  find 
a  new  city  modeled  on  Troy  and  ruled  over  by 
Priam's  prophetic  son  Hel'enus.  Hector's  wife 
Andromache,  who  at  the  fall  of  Troy  had  been 
given  to  Achilles'  son  Neoptolemus,  was  now  liv- 
ing with  Helenus  as  his  wife.  At  the  moment 
of  the  Trojans'  landing  she  was  occupied  in  of- 
fering a  sacrifice  at  the  empty  tomb  of  her  noble 
first  husband.  She  and  Helenus  received  their 
wandering  countrymen  with  enthusiastic  hospi- 
tality, and  when  ^Eneas  felt  that  they  must  con- 
tinue on  their  divinely  guided  way,  they  loaded 
him  with  gifts,  and  after  Helenus  had  warned 
him  of  the  dangers  that  lay  before  him,  they 
unwillingly  let  him  go.  Sailing  westward  they 
sighted  Italy,  but  knowing  that  the  towns  of  this 


336    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

part  of  south  Italy  were  Greek  they  gave  the 
coast  a  wide  berth.  As  they  neared  Sicily  they 
saw  the  cave  of  dreadful  Scylla  and  the  waters 
thrown  high  from  the  whirlpool  of  Charybdis, 
but,  more  fortunate  than  Ulysses,  had  no  need 
to  pass  between.  Not  knowing  the  risk  they  ran, 
the  sailors  beached  their  ships  on  the  south  coast 
of  Sicily  near  the  cave  of  the  Cyclops  Polyphemus 
and  came  on  shore  to  spend  the  night.  But  ^Etna 
belching  forth  flames  and  thundering  in  full  erup- 
tion drove  sleep  away  and  kept  the  men  in  terri- 
fied suspense.  At  dawn  a  man,  hairy,  savage, 
and  emaciated,  came  to  them  pitifully  begging  to 
be  taken  from  this  terrible  island.  He  was  a 
Greek,  a  companion  of  Ulysses,  who  had  been 
left  behind  when  those  whom  Ulysses'  craft  had 
saved  from  being  devoured  had  made  their  hasty 
escape,  but  in  the  face  of  the  savagery  of  the  in- 
human Cyclops  race-enmity  was  forgotten  and 
the  wretched  Greek  found  refuge  on  the  Trojan 
ships.  They  did  not  get  away  from  the  island 
without  seeing  Polyphemus  and  his  brothers, 
however,  for  Polyphemus,  coming  down  to  the 
water  to  bathe  his  bloody  eye-socket,  heard  the 
sound  of  their  oars  and  bellowed  aloud.  The 
other  Cyclopes  heard  him,  and  hurrying  to  the 
shore,  stood  there  towering  up  like  great  trees 
and  threatening  the  ship  with  destruction.  On 
the  further  shore  of  Sicily  a  grief  of  which 
had  not  been  forewarned  awaited  him; 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    339 

his  old  father  Anchises,  who  had  nobly  borne 
with  him  the  hardships  of  these  years  of  wander- 
ing, died  and  had  to  be  given  a  grave  in  this  for- 
eign soil.  From  Sicily  it  was  but  a  short  voy- 
age to  the  destined  home  in  Italy,  but  when  the 
ships  had  been  launched  and  were  well  out  at 
sea,  Juno,  still  cherishing  resentment  against  the 
hated  Trojan  race,  persuaded  ^Eolus,  king  of 
the  winds,  to  let  out  conflicting  blasts  against  the 
ships.  Driven  directly  south,  they  finally  sought 
shelter  in  an  inlet  on  the  coast  of  Africa  where 
the  new  city  of  Carthage  was  building.  yEneas, 
setting  out  with  his  faithful  comrade  A  cha'tes 
to  explore  the  neighborhood,  was  met  by  his 
mother  Venus  disguised  as  a  huntress  and  by 
her  was  directed  to  the  city. 

Though  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  Carthage  was 

tained  by 

a  Phoenician  city,  founded  by  a  Phoenician  king's 
daughter,  Dido,  who  with  a  large  following  had 
secretly  departed  from  her  native  land  after  the 
murder  of  her  husband  by  her  wicked  brother. 
She  was  well  acquainted  with  the  story  of  Troy, 
and  the  name  of  ^Eneas  was  familiar  to  her,  so  she 
welcomed  the  unfortunate  strangers  cordially  and 
generously,  and  even  urged  them  to  share  her 
new  city  and  happy  prospects.  Venus  had  a 
hand  in  this  extreme  good-will  shown  her  son, 
for  she  sent  her  powerful  boy  Cupid  to  take  the 
form  of  little  Ascanius  and  inspire  in  the  wid- 
owed queen  love  for  the  noble  stranger.  Indeed 


340    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

^Eneas,  who,  not  unresponsive  to  the  queen's  ad- 
vances, had  united  with  her  in  a  secret  marriage, 
might  have  been  tempted  to  remain  in  Carthage, 
had  not  Jupiter  sent  Mercury  to  warn  him 
against  such  an  alliance  and  to  remind  him  of 
his  great  destiny  as  founder  of  that  Roman  race 
that  was  to  hold  the  world  under  its  rule.  So, 
obedient  to  the  gods'  will,  the  righteous  tineas 
put  behind  him  his  personal  feelings  and  also, 
from  the  human  standpoint,  all  thought  of  grati- 
tude and  honor  towards  his  generous  hostess  and 
wife,  and  fixing  his  eyes  only  on  the  command 
of  the  fates,  hastened  to  launch  his  ships  and 
sail  away.  Then  the  unfortunate  Dido,  thus  be- 
trayed by  the  goddess  into  a  passionate  and  un- 
wise love,  and  by  the  god-fearing  yEneas  deserted 
while  her  passion  still  burned  at  its  hottest,  had 
a  great  pyre  erected  in  the  court  of  her  palace, 
and  mounting  to  the  top,  killed  herself  with  the 
sword  her  faithless  lover  had  left  behind  him, 
on  her  lips  curses  against  her  betrayer.  As  the 
Trojans  sailed  away  towards  their  unknown  fu- 
ture home,  the  sea  behind  them  was  lighted  by 
the  red  flames  of  that  tragic  pyre. 
The  burning  But  the  ships  came  safely  to  Sicily,  where  kind 

of  the  ships.  *  J 

A  ces'tes,  the  king  of  Trojan  descent  who  ruled 
over  that  part  of  the  island,  received  them  hos- 
pitably. Here  they  stayed  to  offer  sacrifices  and 
hold  the  postponed  funeral  games  in  honor  of 
Anchises.  While  the  men  were  thus  employed, 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    341 

unrelenting  Juno  sent  her  messenger  Iris  down 
to  tempt  the  Trojan  women  to  burn  the  ships 
and  thus  thwart  the  fates  and  secure  for  them- 
selves an  end  of  their  wanderings  and  the  settle- 
ment they  longed  for  in  Sicily.  Some  ships  had 
been  previously  lost  in  the  storm,  now  others 
were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  too  few  were  left  to 
transport  all  the  company  to  the  land  decreed  by 
fate.  Therefore  the  older  and  weaker  men  and 
the  women,  already  regretting  their  rash  act, 
were  left  behind  with  Acestes,  and  with  his  di- 
minished following  /Eneas  started  on  once  more. 
For  the  final  voyage  Venus  secured  from  Nep- 
tune favorable  seas;  yet  one  man  was  demanded 
as  a  sacrifice  for  his  favor  —  Pal  i  nu'rus,  the 
skilful  pilot,  overcome  with  sleep,  fell  backward 
into  the  sea  and  was  lost  A  point  of  land  on 
the  west  coast  of  Italy,  where  his  body  came 
ashore,  still  retains  his  name. 

The  friendly  seer  Helenus  had  told  ^neas  that  The  siby, 
before  he  could  reach  his  future  home  and  found 
a  city  he  must  visit  the  Sibyl  of  Cumse  and 
through  the  help  of  the  prophetess  descend  to 
the  lower  world  and  obtain  his  father's  advice  on 
his  future  course.  Leaving  his  men  on  the  shore 
a  few  miles  from  where  Naples  stands,  ^neas 
sought  the  cave  of  the  Sibyl.  This  cave  with 
its  hundred  dark  mouths,  was  near  Avernus,  a 
lake  mysteriously  formed  from  the  waters  of 
the  lower  world  and  not  far  from  the  cave  that 


342     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

opened  into  Hades.  Within  it  sat  the  Sibyl  and 
uttered  her  prophecies  when  the  god  Apollo  in- 
spired and  took  possession  of  her.  After  the 
sacrifice  had  been  offered  and  ^neas  had  prayed 
for  help,  the  Sibyl  poured  forth  her  prophetic 
warnings  and  promises : 

The  Trojans  shall  come  to  the  kingdom  of  Lavinium 
(Italy);  dismiss  this  anxious  care  from  your  heart; 
but  they  will  wish  that  they  had  not  come.  Wars,  hor- 
rid wars,  and  the  Tiber  flowing  with  blood,  I  see.  .  .  . 
Yet  yield  not  to  misfortune,  but  go  boldly  forward. 

Undaunted,  ^Eneas  only  asked  that  the  Sibyl 
should  open  to  him  the  way  to  the  lower  world 
that  he  might  go  to  see  his  father,  penetrating, 
as  those  other  sons  of  the  gods,  Hercules,  The- 
seus, and  Orpheus,  had  done,  the  fearful  places 
of  the  deado  The  Sibyl  answered: 

Easy  is  the  descent  to  Avernus;  day  and  night  the 
gates  of  black  Dis  (Pluto)  lie  open,  but  to  retrace  your 
steps,  and  escape  once  more  to  the  upper  air,  that  is  the 
toil,  that  is  the  difficult  task.  (JEneid,  VI,  126  ff.) 

Yet  it  might  be  done  if  the  hero  could  first 
find  and  pluck  the  golden  branch  that  Proserpina 
claimed  as  her  due  offering.  In  the  thick  wood 
where  the  strange  tree  grew  that  one  golden 
bough  could  hardly  have  been  found  had  not 
Venus  sent  two  doves  to  lead  the  way  for  her 
son. 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    343 

After  JEneas  had  offered  the  proper  sacrifice  of  The 

r  lower  world. 

black  sheep  to  the  infernal  deities,  the  Sibyl  led 
him  through  a  black  cavern  upon  the  gloomy  road 
that  led  to  the  kingdom  of  Pluto.  Here  before 
the  gates  sat  Grief  and  avenging  Cares,  pale  Dis- 
ease and  sad  Old  Age,  Fear  and  evil  Famine,  and 
shameful  Want,  and  Death's  twin  brother  Sleep, 
and  death-dealing  War  on  the  threshold.  Here 
were  the  iron  chambers  of  the  Furies,  and  here 
was  mad  Discord,  her  snaky  locks  bound  with 
bloody  fillets.  In  the  middle  of  the  open  space 
was  a  huge  elm  beneath  whose  leaves  clung  de- 
ceiving Dreams,  and  about  were  many  other  mon- 
strous forms,  Centaurs,  Scyllas,  flaming  Chimaera, 
Gorgons,  and  Harpies.  Yet  these  were  only  un- 
bodied shades  against  which,  the  Sibyl  warned 
the  hero,  his  sword  could  have  no  effect.  Be- 
low this  place  seethed  black  Acheron,  where  the 
foul  ferryman  Charon  waited  with  his  frail  skiff. 
About  the  bank  crowded  the  shades  of  the  dead 
whose  funeral  rites  had  been  left  undone,  "  as 
many  as  the  leaves  that  fall  in  the  woods  in 
autumn  at  the  first  touch  of  frost."  But  the 
ferryman  refused  them  all  and  sent  them  away 
to  wander  vainly  about  the  shore  until  a  hun- 
dred years  should  pass;  then  they  win  a  passage 
to  the  sunless  shore  beyond.  Here  Palinurus 
greeted  ^neas  and  begged  him,  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  upper  air,  to  seek  his  body  on  the 


344    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

shore  and  give  him  proper  burial.  Charon  at 
first  refused  to  accept  a  living  man  in  his  little 
boat,  but  the  word  of  the  Sibyl  and  the  sight 
of  the  golden  bough  overcame  his  unwillingness, 
and  he  turned  out  his  ghostly  passengers  to  make 
room  for  the  hero,  and  so  set  him  across  the 
stream.  A  honey-cake  thrown  by  the  Sibyl  paci- 
fied three-headed  Cerberus.  Then  his  guide  led 
^neas  through  the  places  of  the  dead.  First 
they  passed  those  who  had  died  in  infancy  and 
those  who  had  suffered  death  on  false  accusa- 
tions; next  were  those  who  had  taken  their  own 
lives,  and  the  Fields  of  Mourning  inhabited  by 
unhappy  lovers,  and  among  these  the  hero  recog- 
nized unfortunate  Dido,  fresh  from  the  funeral 
pyre  she  herself  had  built.  He  would  have 
stopped  to  talk  with  her  and  excuse  to  the  shade 
his  desertion  of  the  living  woman,  but  she  si- 
lently turned  from  him  and  glided  away,  to  re- 
join her  first  husband.  Proceeding  they  came 
to  where  thronged  the  great  warriors.  The 
Greeks  fled  before  the  Trojan  hero,  but  his  friends 
and  countrymen  stayed  to  speak  with  him  and 
ask  of  the  world  they  had  left.  Then  they  came 
to  the  fiery  river  Phlegethon,  encircling  the  ada- 
mantine walls  of  Tartarus,  guarded  by  the  Furies. 
From  here  arose  groans  and  the  sound  of  blows 
and  the  clank  of  iron  chains.  In  the  pit  below 
writhed  the  Titans  and  the  rebellious  giants  and 
those  who  had  sinned  against  the  gods  or  had 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    345 

been  guilty  of  unnatural  crimes.  Into  this  deep 
hell  yEneas  could  not  look,  but  the  Sibyl  told 
him  of  it  as  they  passed  by.  In  contrast  to  the 
fiery  tortures  of  Tartarus  the  Elysian  Fields 
spread  before  them,  lighted  by  their  own  sun  and 
stars,  and  bathed  in  a  generous  air  and  rosy 
light.  Here  the  great  heroes,  children  of  the 
gods,  contended  in  games,  or  joined  in  the  song 
and  choral  dance.  Here  were  the  great  founders 
of  the  Trojan  race,  Ilus,  Dardanus,  and  others. 
Afar  off  in  a  green  secluded  valley  of  this  realm 
at  last  ^neas  met  Anchises,  reviewing  the  long 
line  of  souls  who,  having  stayed  the  allotted  time 
in  the  lower  world  and  having  drunk  forgetful- 
ness  from  the  stream  of  Lethe,  were  ready  to 
return  in  other  bodies  to  the  upper  air  as  the 
descendants  of  ^Eneas,  the  glorious  Roman  race, 
Romulus  who  was  to  found  Rome;  all  the  seven 
Roman  kings,  and  the  great  governors  and  gen- 
erals who  should  make  of  Rome  a  world  em- 
pire, all  up  to  Augustus,  in  whose  time  Vergil 
wrote  his  great  poem.  When  Anchises  had 
shown  his  son  all  the  future  glories  of  their  race, 
and  warned  him  of  the  hardships  that  yet  lay 
before  him,  he  brought  him  to  the  Gates 
of  Dreams.  Through  the  gate  of  horn  pass 
dreams  that  are  to  be  fulfilled ;  through  that 
of  ivory,  those  sent  to  deceive  mortals. 
From  hence  ^neas  proceeded  to  the  world 
above. 


346     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

The  landing         Sailing  up  the  west  coast  of  Italy,  the  Tro- 

in  Italy.  J  ' 

jans  finally  beached  their  ships  near  where  the 
Tiber,  yellow  with  the  sand  it  washes  down, 
empties  into  the  sea.  When  they  had  landed 
and  prepared  a  hasty  meal,  their  hunger  led  them 
to  devour  not  only  the  food  intended  for  them 
but  the  flat  cakes  of  bread  on  which  the  food 
had  been  laid  out.  Seeing  this,  young  Ascanius 
cried:  "See,  we  are  eating  our  tables!"  So 
/Eneas,  recognizing  that  the  prophecy  of  the 
Harpy  was  thus  harmlessly  fulfilled  and  that  the 
land  granted  them  by  fate  had  at  last  been 
reached,  gave  thanks  and  worshiped  the  divini- 
ties of  the  place.  The  king  of  this  part  of  the 
country  was  La  ti'nus,  whose  daughter  La  vin'i  a 
was  sought  as  wife  by  the  king  of  a  neighbor- 
ing tribe,  Turnus  by  name.  Though  the  parents 
of  the  girl  would  have  been  glad  to  have  this 
prince  as  a  son-in-law,  the  gods  had  warned  them 
against  the  marriage,  since  a  hero  from  over  the 
sea  was  to  have  her  as  wife  and  by  her  raise 
up  a  race  that  should  rule  the  world.  When, 
therefore,  /Eneas  sent  messengers  to  Latinus,  the 
king  recognized  his  destined  son-in-law  in  the 
stranger,  and  readily  formed  an  alliance  and  of- 
fered him  his  daughter  in  marriage.  But  Juno, 
still  implacable  towards  /Eneas,  sent  one  of  the 
Furies  to  rouse  Turnus  and  Latinus'  queen  against 
the  Trojans.  Moreover  she  made  trouble  be- 
tween the  newcomers  and  some  Latin  herdsmen. 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    347 

and  finally  threw  open  the  gates  of  Janus'  temple 
and  roused  all  the  country  in  war.40  By  night 
Father  Tiber,  the  river-god,  rose  from  his  stream, 
and  speaking  to  the  sleeping  yEneas,  bade  him 
proceed  up  the  river  to  where  the  good  king 
Evan'der  had  his  palace.  With  willing  obe- 
dience YEneas  made  his  way  up  the  stream  until 
at  noon  he  came  to  Evanders  settlement,  its 
humble  roofs  clustered  among  the  seven  hills  that 
later  bore  the  massive  buildings  of  imperial  Rome. 
Fitly  entertained  by  Evander  on  the  spot  later 
to  be  made  glorious  by  his  descendants,  /Eneas 
formed  a  compact  of  mutual  help  with  the  king, 
and  on  his  new  ally's  advice  proceeded  thence 
northward  to  Etruria  to  draw  into  his  alliance 
an  Etruscan  king  who  was  already  a  bitter  en- 
emy of  Turnus.  Thus  reinforced,  yEneas  re- 
turned at  last  to  his  camp  by  the  Tiber  to  find 
a  fierce  battle  in  progress.  Notwithstanding  the 
superior  numbers  of  the  enemy  and  the  brave 
deeds  of  Turnus  and  his  allies,  the  Trojans  were 
victorious,  and  Turnus  died  at  yEneas'  hand.  At 
this  point  Vergil's  story  closes,  but  we  know  that 
Lavinia  became  /Eneas'  wife  and  that  in  her 
honor  he  named  the  town  that  he  founded  La- 
vinium. 

yEneas'  son  Ascanius,  or  lulus,  founded  Alba 

and  Remu 

40  Janus  was  the  Roman  god  of  beginnings.  In  time  of 
war  the  gates  of  his  temple  were  opened ;  in  time  of  peace, 
closed. 


348    Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Longa  on  the  slope  of  the  Alban  Mount,  and  here 
his  descendants  continued  to  rule  after  his  death. 
The  last  of  the  line  to  hold  the  'throne  was 
Nu'mi'tor,  whose  younger  brother  A  mu'li  us 
wickedly  supplanted  him,  and  to  preserve  his 
own  power,  put  to  death  Numitor's  only  son, 
and  consecrated  his  daughter  Rhea  Silvia  to  the 
service  of  the  goddess  Vesta  as  a  Vestal  Virgin. 
But  the  virgin  was  loved  by  the  war-god  Mars 
and  by  him  became  the  mother  of  twin  sons. 
When  Amulius,  persisting  in  his  wicked  designs, 
ordered  the  babies  to  be  drowned  in  the  river, 
the  trough  that  held  them  was  carried  down  the 
stream  into  the  Tiber,  and  by  the  guidance  of 
the  gods  was  washed  high  up  on  the  bank  and 
left  by  the  retreating  waters  under  a  fig  tree  on 
the  Palatine  Hill.  A  she-wolf,  wandering  that 
way,  was  attracted  by  the  babies'  cries,  and  adopt- 
ing them  as  her  own  whelps,  nourished  them  with 
her  milk.  It  is  said  that  a  wood-pecker,  a  bird 
sacred  to  Mars,  also  brought  the  babies  food  in 
her  beak.  After  some  time  a  kindly  shepherd 
came  upon  the  little  savages  and  took  them  home 
to  his  hut  on  the  Palatine  Hill.  As  they  grew, 
the  twins,  called  by  their  foster-parents  Romulus 
and  Remus,  became  the  acknowledged  leaders  of 
all  the  young  shepherds  about  and  fought  against 
many  wild  beasts  and  robbers.  After  a  quarrel 
with  some  herdsmen  of  Numitor  Remus  was  taken 
before  his  grandfather  and  was  recognized  by  him 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome    349 

as  his  daughter's  child.  Amulius  met  at  the 
young  men's  hands  the  death  he  deserved,  and 
Numitor  was  restored  to  his  kingdom.  But 
Romulus  and  Remus,  having  a  particular  affec- 
tion for  the  hills  where  they  had  lived  as  boys, 
put  themselves  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  young 
men  and  set  out  to  found  a  new  city  on  the  banks 
of  the  Tiber.  A  dispute  arising  between  the  two 


Fig.  99.     The  wolf  with  Romulus  and  Remus. 

as  to  whether  the  Palatine  or  the  Aventine  Hill 
was  the  more  favorable  site,  they  agreed  to  leave 
the  matter  to  be  decided  by  the  gods.  To  Remus, 
looking  for  the  divine  sanction  on  the  Aventine, 
appeared  six  vultures,  but  when  he  would  have 
claimed  the  decision  in  his  favor,  Romulus  on  the 
Palatine  reported  the  flight  of  twelve  vultures. 
Disappointed  in  his  hopes  and  wishing  to  show 
his  contempt  for  his  successful  brother's  plans, 


350     Greek  and  Roman  Mythology 

Remus  mockingly  leaped  over  the  wall  Romulus 
was  building.  Romulus  in  a  rage  killed  him  on 
the  spot.  The  new  settlement  was  soon  enlarged 
by  the  people  from  the  country  around,  who  were 
gladly  afforded  refuge  there  from  enemies  and 
a  hospitable  reception.  Only  wives  were  lack- 
ing. To  supply  this  deficiency,  when  he  had 
vainly  tried  more  peaceful  methods,  Romulus 
adopted  a  somewhat  treacherous  device.  Under 
pretense  of  celebrating  sacred  games,  he  invited 
his  neighbors,  the  Latins  and  Sabines,  to  visit 
his  city  with  their  wives  and  daughters,  and  when 
the  visitors  were  off  their  guard,  the  young  Ro- 
mans seized  the  Sabine  women  and  drove  the  men 
away  with  violence.  After  some  time  the  Sa- 
bines returned  in  force  to  recover  their  women, 
and  a  bloody  battle  was  fought  in  what  was  after- 
wards the  Roman  Forum.  In  the  midst  of  the 
fight  the  Sabine  women,  whose  affections  had 
been  won  by  their  violent  young  captors,  but  who 
still  were  anxious  for  the  safety  of  their  rela- 
tives, rushed  between  the  combatants  and  effected 
a  reconciliation.  The  Sabines  were  now  given 
a  settlement  on  the  Capitoline  and  Quirinal  Hills, 
and  the  two  races  united  in  one  state  with  a  com- 
mon meeting-place  in  the  Forum,  the  valley  be- 
tween their  respective  settlements.  Through  the 
wise  and  strong  rule  of  Romulus  the  new  city 
grew  rapidly,  and  successful  wars  were  carried 
on  against  hostile  neighbors.  One  day  when  the 


The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome     351 

king  was  reviewing  his  army  in  the  Campus 
Martius,  or  Field  of  Mars,  outside  the  city  walls, 
an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  accompanied  by  a  terrific 
storm,  darkened  the  heavens  and  threw  the  as- 
semblage into  a  panic.  As  the  men  dispersed, 
Mars  descended  in  a  fiery  chariot  and  carried  his 
son  Romulus  off  to  heaven.  After  this  his  peo- 
ple worshiped  the  deified  Romulus  under  the 
name  of  Qui  ri'nus,  and  side  by  side  with  the  tem- 
ples of  their  other  gods,  religiously  preserved 
the  little  straw  hut  he  had  occupied  as  a  shep- 
herd. The  stories  of  Romulus's  six  successors 
in  the  kingship,  full  of  interest  and  adventure, 
belong  rather  to  the  legendary  history  of  Rome 
than  to  mythology. 


APPENDICES 


APPENDICES 


APPENDIX  A 

Notes  on  the  Pronunciation  of  Greek  and  Latin  Proper 
Names. 

I.  Accent. 

(1)  The  last  syllable  (ultima)  is  never  accented. 

(2)  The  next  to  the  last  syllable  (penult)  is  accented 
when  it  contains  a  long  vowel  or  a  diphthong  or  when 
its  vowel  is  followed  by  two  or  more  consonants  or  by 
x  or  z,  e.g.,  A  the'na,  He  phaes'tus,  Min  er'va. 

(3)  If  the  penult  is  not  long,  the  accent  falls  on  the 
third  syllable  from  the  end  (antepenult),  e.g.,  Ju'pi  ter, 
Ni'o  be. 

II.  Consonants. 

(1)  Ch  is  pronounced  like  k. 

(2)  C  is  soft  before  e,  i,  y,  a,  ce;  elsewhere  it  is  hard. 

III.  Vowels. 

(1)  The  vowel  e  is  long  in  the  terminations  c  and  es. 

(2)  The  vowel  e  is  long  before  the  terminations  a 
and  us. 

(3)  The  diphthongs  a  and  ce  are  pronounced  like  e. 


356  Appendices 

APPENDIX  B 

A  Brief  List  of  Poems  and  Dramas  Based  on  the 
Myths. 

Chapter  I.     The  World  of  the  Myths. 

Keats,  Hyperion;  ^Eschylus,  Prometheus  Bound 
(translation  in  Everyman's  Library)  ;  Mrs.  E.  B. 
Browning,  Prometheus  Bound;  Shelley,  Prometheus 
Unbound;  Byron,  Prometheus;  Robert  Bridges, 
Prometheus;  J.  R.  Lowell,  Prometheus;  H.  W.  Long- 
fellow, Prometheus  and  Epimetheus;  D.  G.  Rossetti, 
Pandora;  H.  W.  Longfellow's  Masque  of  Pandora; 
Account  of  the  Four  Ages  and  the  Flood  in  Ovid's 
Metamorphoses  I.  89-415  (translation  in  Bohn's 
Libraries'). 

Chapter  II.    The  Gods  of  Olympus:  Zeus. 

Dean  Swift,  Baucis  and  Philemon,  imitated  from  the 
Eighth  Book  of  Ovid,  Metamorphoses  (a  burlesque), 
in  the  Scott-Saintsbury  edition  of  Swift's  Works; 
Ovid,  Metamorphoses  I.  583  ff.,  II.  410  ff.,  VIII.  620  ff. 
(translation  in  Bohn's  Libraries}. 

Chapter  III.    Hera,  Athena,  Hephaestus. 

Thomas  Moore,  The  Fall  of  Hebe;  J.  R.  Lowell, 
Hebe;  John  Ruskin,  The  Queen  of  the  Air  (lectures)  ; 
Milton,  Paradise  Lost  I.  740  ff. ;  Ovid,  Metamorphoses 
VI.  i  ff.  (translation  in  Bohn's  Libraries'). 

Chapter  IV.    Apollo  and  Artemis. 

Keats,  Hymn  to  Apollo;  Shelley,  Hymn  of  Apollo, 
Homer's  Hymn  to  the  Sun;  A.  C.  Swinburne,  The  Last 
Oracle,  Delphic  Hymn  to  Apollo;  Stephen  Phillips, 
Marpessa;  W.  S.  Landor,  Niobe;  Chaucer,  Prolog  of 


Appendices  357 

the  Legend  of  Good  Women;  W.  Morris,  The  Love  of 
Alcestis;  R.  Browning,  Apollo  and  the  Fates,  Balaus- 
t ion's  Adventure;  Euripides,  Alcestis  (translation  in 
Everyman's  Library)  ;  Ovid,  Metamorphoses  I.  452  ff., 
X.  162  ff.,  VI.  146  ff.,  I.  748  ff.;  Shelley,  Homer's 
Hymn  to  the  Moon,  Arethnsa;  A.  H.  Clough,  Action; 
John  Lyly,  Endymion;  Keats,  Endymion;  J.  R.  Lowell, 
Endymion;  H.  W.  Longfellow,  Endymion,  Occupation 
of  Orion;  Ovid,  Metamorphoses  V.  577  ff.,  III.  138  ff. 

Chapter  V.     Hermes  and  Hestia. 
Shelley,  Homer's  Hymn  to  Mercury. 

Chapter  VI.    Ares  and  Aphrodite. 

Chaucer,  The  Compleynt  of  Mars,  Legend  of 
Thisbe  (in  The  Legend  of  Good  Women);  Shake- 
speare, Venus'  and  Adonis,  Midsummer  Night's  Dream; 
Shelley,  Homer's  Hymn  to  Venus;  Keats,  Sonnet  On 
a  Picture  of  Leander;  Byron,  Poem  written  after 
swimming  from  Sestos  to  Abydos;  Thomas  Moore, 
Hero  and  Leander;  Tom  Hood,  Hero  and  Leander; 
Tennyson,  Hero  to  Leander;  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  Hero 
and  Leander;  Leigh  Hunt,  Hero  and  Leander;  D.  G. 
Rossetti,  Sonnets,  Venus  Verticordia,  Venus  Vicirix, 
Hero's  Lamp  (in  The  House  of  Life)  ;  W.  S.  Landor, 
Hippomenes  and  Atalanta;  W.  Morris,  Pygmalion  and 
the  Image,  Atalanta' s  Race  (in  The  Earthly  Paradise}  : 
Andrew  Lang,  The  New  Pygmalion:  Theocritus,  Idyl 
XV.;  Bion,  Idyl  I.  (translations  in  Bohn's  Libraries 
and  in  The  Loeb  Classical  Library)  ;  Ovid,  Metamor- 
phoses X.  560  ff.,  IV.  55  ff. 

Chapter  VII.     The  Lesser  Deities  of  Olympus. 

Mrs.  E.  B.  Browning,  Paraphrases  on  Apuleius; 
Keats,  Ode  to  Psyche;  A.  C.  Swinburne,  Eros;  W. 


358  Appendices 

Morris,  Cupid  and  Psyche  (in  The  Earthly  Paradise)  ; 
Spenser,  The  Tears  of  the  Muses. 

Chapter  VIII.    The  Gods  of  the  Sea. 
D.  G.  Rossetti,  A  Sea-Spell;  J.  R.  Lowell,  The  Sirens. 

Chapter  IX.    The  Gods  of  the  Earth. 

Shelley,  Homer's  Hymn  to  the  Earth,  Song  of 
Proserpine,  Hymn  of  Pan;  Pan,  Echo,  and  t'~e  Satyr; 
Tennyson,  Demeter  and  Persephone;  A.  C.  Swinburne, 
Hymn  to  Proserpine,  At  Eleusis,  Pan  and  Thalasslus; 
D.  G.  Rossetti,  Proserpine;  Mrs.  E.  B.  Browning, 
Bacchus  and  Ariadne  (paraphrase  on  Nonnus),  The 
Dead  Pan;  R.  W.  Emerson,  Bacchus;  W.  S.  Landor, 
Cupid  and  Pan;  R.  Browning,  Pan  and  Luna;  Ovid, 
Metamorphoses  V.  341  ff. 

Chapter  X.    The  World  of  the  Dead. 

Dante,  The  Divine  Comedy;  Milton,  Paradise  Lost; 
Sackville,  Induction  to  the  Mirror  for  Magistrates;  L. 
Morris,  The  Epic  of  Hades;  A.  C.  Swinburne,  The 
Garden  of  Proserpine,  Eurydice;  A.  Lang,  The  For- 
tunate Islands;  W.  Morris,  The  Earthly  Paradise; 
Shelley,  Orpheus;  Wordsworth,  The  Power  of  Music; 
R.  Browning,  Eurydice  to  Orpheus,  Ixion;  J.  R.  Lowell, 
Eurydice. 

Chapter  XI.     Stories  of  Argos. 

Chaucer,  The  Legend  of  Hypermnestra  (in  The 
Legend  of  Good  Women") ;  W.  Morris,  The  Doom  of 
King  Acrisius  (in  The  Earthly  Paradise)  ;  D.  G. 
Rossetti,  Aspecta  Medusa;  Ovid,  Metamorphoses  IV. 
6ioff. 


Appendices  359 

Chapter  XII.     Heracles. 

W.  Morris,  The  Golden  Apples  (in  The  Earthly 
Paradise)  ;  Theocritus,  Idyl  X.  (translation  in  Bohn's 
Libraries  and  in  The  Locb  Classical  Library). 

Chapter  XIII.  Stories  of  Crete,  Sparta,  Corinth,  and 


Shelley,  Homer's  Hymn  to  Castor  and  Pollux; 
Macaulay,  The  Battle  of  Lake  Regillus;  H.  W.  Long- 
fellow, Pegasus  in  Pound;  W.  Morris,  Bcllerophon  in 
Argos  and  Lycia  (in  The  Earthly  Paradise)  ;  G. 
Meredith,  Bcllerophon;  A.  C.  Swinburne,  Atalanta  in 
Calydon;  Moschus,  Idyl  II  (translations  in  Bohn's 
Libraries  and  in  The  Loeb  Classical  Library)  ;  Ovid, 
Metamorphoses  II.  833  ff.,  VIII.  183  ff.,  VIII.  260  ff. 

Chapter  XIV.     Stories  of  Attica. 

Chaucer,  The  Legend  of  Philomela,  and  The  Legend 
of  Ariadne  (in  The  Legend  of  Good  Women),  The 
Knight's  Tale  (in  The  Canterbury  Tales)  ;  A.  C.  Swin- 
burne, Erectheus,  Itylus;  Thomas  Moore,  Cephalus  and 
Procris;  M.  Arnold,  Philomela. 

Chapter  XV.     Stories  of  Thebes. 

A.  C.  Swinburne,  Tiresias;  Tennyson,  Tiresias; 
Shelley,  Szvellfoot  the  Tyrant;  Sophocles,  CEdipus 
Tyrannus,  CEdipus  Coloneus,  Antigone  (translations  in 
Everyman's  Library). 

Chapter  XVI.     The  Argonautic  Expedition. 

Chaucer,  The  Legend  of  Hypsipyle  and  Medea  (in 
The  Legend  of  Good  Women)  ;  W.  Morris,  The  Life 
and  Death  of  Jason;  Apollonius  Rhodius,  Argonautica 


360  Appendices 

(translation  in  The  Loeb  Classical  Library')  ;  Theo- 
critus, Id\l  XIII.  (translation  in  Bohn's  Libraries  and 
in  The  Loeb  Classical  Library)  ;  Euripides,  Medea 
(translation  in  Everyman's  Library). 

Chapter  XVII.     The  Trojan  War. 

Chaucer,  Troilus  and  Criseyde;  Shakespeare,  Troi- 
hts  and  Cressida;  Keats,  Sonnet  on  Chapman's  Homer; 
Tennyson,  (Enone,  Dream  of  Fair  Women;  W.  S. 
Landor,  The  Death  of  Paris  and  (Enone,  Menelaiis  and 
Helen,  Iphigenia  and  Agamemnon,  Shades  of  Iphigenic 
and  Agamemnon;  A.  Lang,  Helen  of  Troy,  The  Shade 
of  Helen,  Translation  of  Theocritus,  Idyl  XVIII.;  Mrs. 
E.  B.  Browning,  Hector  and  Andromache  (a  para- 
phrase of  Homer)  ;  W.  Morris,  The  Death  of  Paris 
(in  The  Earthly  Paradise)  ;  Wordsworth,  Laodamia; 
M.  Arnold,  Palladium;  D.  G.  Rossetti,  Cassandra; 
Schiller,  Cassandra  (translation  by  Lord  Lytton)  ; 
Goethe,  Iphigenia  in  Tauris  (translation  in  Bohn's 
Libraries)  ;  Sophocles,  Aja-x,  Philoctetes;  Euripides, 
Iphigenia  at  Aulis,  Iphigenia  Among  the  Taurians, 
Hecuba,  Trojan  Women,  Andromache. 

Chapter  XVIII.     The  Wanderings  of  Odysseus. 

Tennyson,  Ulysses,  The  Lotns-Eaters;  W.  S.  Landor, 
The  Last  of  Ulysses,  Penelope;  Stephen  Phillips, 
Ulysses;  M.  Arnold,  The  Strayed  Reveller;  D.  G.  Ros- 
setti, The  Wine  of  Circe;  J.  R.  Lowell,  The  Sirens; 
Shelley,  The  Cyclops  (translation  from  Euripides)  ; 
Milton,  Comns  (inspired  by  the  story  of  Circe)  ;  Pope, 
Argus;  Theocritus,  Idyl  XI  (translation  in  The  Loeb 
Classical  Library).  A.  Lang,  Hesperothen,  The  Odys* 
sey,  The  Sirens,  In  Ithaca. 


Appendices  361 

Chapter  XIX.     The  Tragedy  of  Agamemnon. 

yEschylus,  Agamemnon  Choephori,  Enmenides; 
Sophocles,  Electra;  Euripides,  Electro,  Orestes; 
Iphigenia  in  Tauris  (translation  in  Everyman's  Li- 
brary). 

Chapter  XX.     The  Legendary  Origin  of  Rome. 

Chaucer,  The  Legend  of  Dido  (in  The  Legend  of 
Good  Women}  ;  Christopher  Marlowe,  The  Tragedy  of 
Dido. 

FOR  GENERAL  READING:  The  Iliad  (trans- 
lation by  Lang,  Leaf  and  Myers)  ;  The  Odyssey 
(translation  by  Butcher  and  Lang)  ;  The  Homeric 
Hymns  (translation  in  The  Loeb  Classical  Li- 
brary} ;  translations  of  the  tragedies  of  JEschylus, 
Sophocles  and  Euripides  in  Everyman's  Library; 
Ovid,  Metamorphoses  (translations  in  Bohn's  Li- 
braries and  in  The  Loeb  Classical  Library}. 

FOR  YOUNGER  STUDENTS :  A.  C.  Church, 
Stories  from  Homer;  Stories  from  the  Greek  Tra- 
gedians; Stories  from  Virgil.  These  are  excellent 
reading  and  retain  remarkably  well  the  spirit  of  the 
originals.  Charles  Kingsley,  The  Heroes. 


INDEX 


Ages'tes,  340 

A  cha'tes,   339 

Ach  e  lo'us,  225 

A'cheron,  187,  311,  343 

A  chil'les,  186,  280.  283,  288f  . 

A  cris'i  us,  200,  209 

Actae'on,  85  f. 

Ad  me'tus,  7/f. 

Ado'nis,   H3f. 

A  dras'tus,  264 

/E'acus,  189,  283 

/Ee'tes,  267,  273 

/E'geus,  248,  279 

/Egi'na,  283 

/E'gis,  44 

/E  gis'thus,  326f  . 

yEgyp'tus,   199 

/Ene'as,  280,  331!. 

yE'olus,  142,  309,  339 

yEs  cu  la'pi  us.     See  Asclep- 

ius 

yE'son,  267,  276 
yE'ther,  5 
yE'thra,  248 
Agamem'non,     281,     287f., 


A  ga've,  daughter  of  Cad- 
mus and  mother  of  Pen- 
theus. 

A  ge'nor,  256 

Ages,  the  Four,  12 

A  glai'a,  one  of  the  Graces. 

A'jax,  287,  294,  300 

Alba  Longa.  347 

Alqes'tis,   7;f. 


Al  cj'des,  name  of  Heracles. 

Al  gin'o  us,  king  of  the 
Phaeacians. 

Ale  mae'on,  one  of  the  Epi- 
goni,  son  of  Amphiaraus 
and  Eriphyle,  who,  fol- 
lowing his  father's  injunc- 
tion, killed  his  mother, 
and  who  was,  therefore, 
pursued  by  the  Furies. 

Ale  me'na,  210 

A  lec'to,  one  of  the  Furies 

Aloe'us,  father  of  Otus  and 
Ephialtes. 

Al  phe'us,  84,  218 

Al  thae'a,  241 

Am  al  the'a,  7 

Am'a  zons,  219,  252,  300 

Am  bro'sia,  IQ 

Am'mon,  an  Egyptian  deity 
identified  with  Zeus :  he 
had  a  famous  shrine  in 
an  oasis  of  the  Libyan 
desert. 

Am  phi  a  ra'us,  242,  264 

Am  phi'on,  26f. 

Am  phi  tri'te,    144,    148,   247 

Am  phit'ry  on,  210 

A  mul'i  us,  348 

Anchi'ses,  331,  339,  345 

An  drom'a  che,  298,  304,  335 

An  drom'eda,  207 

An  tae'us,  222 

Antig'one,  363.  364 

Anti'a,    Proetus'   wife,   who 


363 


364 


Index 


falsely  accused  Bellero- 
phon. 

An  tin'o  us,  one  of  Penel- 
ope's suitors. 

An  ti'o  pe,  26f .,  252 

Aphrodi'te,   106,   logf.,  286 

Apol'lo,  ssf.,  92,  144,  181, 
224,  272,  291,  296 

Apple  of   Discord,   108,  285 

A  rach'ne,  46f. 

Ar'cas,  22 

A  re  o'pa  gus,  109,  329 

A'res,  36,  iosf.,  256 

Arethu'sa,  83f.,  157 

Ar'go,  269 

Argonautic  expedition,  269f. 

Ar'gus    (hundred-eyed),   25 

Ar'gus  (builder  of  the 
Argo),  269 

Ar'gus  (Odysseus'  dog),  323 

Ariad'ne,  171,  250 

Ar  is  tse'us,  son  of  Apollo 
and  father  of  Actaeon.  It 
was  when  he  was  pursu- 
ing Eurydice  that  she 
stepped  upon  the  serpent 
from  whose  sting  she 
died.  In  punishment,  his 
bees  were  destroyed  by 
the  nymphs.  On  the  ad- 
vice of  Proteus  he  offered 
animals  in  sacrifice  to  the 
shades  of  Orpheus  and 
Eurydice,  whereupon  bees 
swarmed  in  the  carcasses. 
He  taught  men  to  keep 
bees. 

Ar'temis,  69,  8of-,  241,  288 

Asca'nius,  333,  347 

Ascle'pius,  55,  74 

A  so'pus,  236 

As  sar'a  cus,  king  of  Troy, 
son  of  Tros. 


As  ty'a  nax,  Hector's  infant 

son. 

At  a  lan'ta  in  Caledon,  242 
At  a  lan'ta's  race,  H5f. 
Ath'a  mas,  266 
Athe'na,    9,    4of.,    in,    203, 

238,  297 
At'las,  206,  223 
A'treus,  282 
A  tri'des,    sons    of    Atreus, 

Agamemnon    and    Mene- 

laus 

At'ropus,   141 
Auge'as,  217 
Au'lis,  288 
Au'ra,  246 
Au  ro'ra,  71,  245 
Au  to'me  don,  charioteer  of 

Achilles 
Aver'nus,  187,  341 


Bac'cha  na'li  a,  171 

Bacchan'tes,  167,  173,  192 

Bac'chus,  see  Dionysus 

Bau'qis,  28f. 

Bear,  the  Great,  24 

Bel  ler'o  phon,  237 

Bel  lo'na,  109 

Be  re  cyn'thi  a,  Cybele,  from 
Mt.  Berecynthus  in  Phry- 
gia 

Ber'oe,  165 

Bona  Dea,  divinity  wor- 
shiped in  secret  by  women 
in  Rome 

Bo'reas,  142,  245,  271 

Bos'pho  rus,  26 

Bri  a're  us,  a  hundred-hand- 
ed giant  who  aided  Zeus 
[against  the  rebellious  gods 

Bri  se'is,  291 

Bronze  Age,  13 


Index 


365 


Ca'cus,  221 

Cad'mus,  256 

Ca  du'ge  us,  97 

Cal'chas,  291 

Cal  li'o  pe,  139,  192 

Cal  lis'to,   22f. 

Cal  y  do'ni  an  boar,    241  f. 

Ca  lyp'so,  316 

Ca  mil'la,  a  princess  of  Italy 

who       assisted       Turnus 

against  ^Eneas 
Cas  san'dra,  304,  327 
Cas  si  o  pe'a,  207 
Cas 'tor,  234,  241,  254,  269 
C,e'crops,  46,  244 
Ce  lae'no,  one  of  the  Harpies 
C.e'le  us,  king  of  Eleusis  and 

father  of  Triptolemus 
C.en'taurs,  253 
Ceph'alus,  245 
C.e'pheus,  207 
Cer'ber  us,  188,  223,  254 
C,e'res,     6,     165.     See     also 

Demeter. 

C,eryne'an  doe,  217 
C,estus,  the  girdle  of  Venus 

with    power    to    enhance 

beauty 

C.e'yx.     See  Halcyone 
Cha'os,  5 
Char'ites,  139 
Cha'ron,  187,  343 
Charyb'dis,    151,    314,    315, 

336 

Chi  mae'ra,  238 
Chi'ron,  267,  284 
Chry  se'is,  290 
C.  i  co'ni  ans,  men  with  whom 

Odysseus  fought  early  in 

his  wanderings. 
C,im  me'ri  ans,  311 
Cir'ge,  310 
Cli'o,  139 
Clo'tho,  141 


Clym'e  ne,  70 

Cly  tern  nes'tra,  234,  326f . 

Cly'ti  e,  a  water-nymph  who 
loved  Apollo  and  was 
changed  into  a  sun-flower. 

Co  qy'tus,  188,  311 

Col'chis,  273 

Co  lo'nus,  263 

Con'sus,  a  Roman  god  of 
agriculture. 

Co  ro'nis,  by  Apollo,  mother 
of  Asclepius. 

Cor  y  ban'tes,  154 

Cre'on,  263 

Cretan  bull,  218 

Creu'sa,  333 

Cro'nus,  6f.,  12 

Cu'mse,  187 

Cupid,  123.     See  also  Eros. 

Cu  re'tes,  7 

Cy'ane,  157 

Cybele,  117,  153 

C,yclo'pes,  5,  7,  189,  306, 
336 

Qyc'nus,  son  of  Poseidon, 
Apollo,  or  Ares,  who  was 
turned  into  a  swan. 

C.yn'thi  a,  name  of  Artemis 
derived  from  Mt.  Cyn- 
thus  in  Delos,  where  she 
was  born- 

Cypris,  114 

Cyth  er  e'a,  name  of  Aphro- 
dite, derived  from  Cyth- 
era,  an  island  near  the 
Peloponnese. 

Dae'dalus,  233 
Dan'a  e,  200 
Dan'a  ids,  190,  199 
Dan'a  us,  199 
Daph'ne,  62f. 

Daph'nis,  a  son  of  Hermes 
who  was  made  blind  by 


366 


Index 


a  jealous  naiad.  He  was 
the  ideal  shepherd  and 
musician. 

Dar'danus,  284,  334 

Day,  5 

De  iph'o  bus,  son  of  Priam 
who  married  Helen  at 
Paris'  death. 

De  jan  i'ra,  225 

De'los,  60 

Del'phi,  3,  56,  62,  98,  215, 
224,  262 

Deme'ter,  6,  21,  iS4f. 

Deu  ca'li  on,  \<\i . 

Di  an'a,  go.  See  also  Ar- 
temis. 

Dic'tys,  202,  208 

Di'do,  339,  344 

Diome'des,  287,  301 

Di  o  me'des,  horses  of,  219 

Di  o'ne,  109 

Di  on  y'si  a,  171 

Di  on  y'sus,  i6sf. 

Di  os  cu'ri,  234 

Di'rae,  a  name  of  the  Furies. 

Dir'ge,  26f. 

Dis,  name  of  Pluto  or  Hades 

Do  do'na,  34,  269 

Dreams,  gates  of,  345 

Dry'ads,  184 

E'cho,  185 

Ei  lei  thy'ia,      the      goddess 

who     aided     women      in 

child-birth. 
Elec'tra,  328 

E  lec'tra,  one  of  the  Pleiads 
E  lec'try  on,  210 
Eleu'sis,  158 

Eleusin'ian  Mysteries,   15*8 
Ely'sian   Fields,    190,  345 
En  gel'a  dus,     one     of     the 

hundred-handed   giants. 
En  d/mi  on,  87! 


E  ny'o,     goddess     of     war, 

companion  of  Ares. 
E'os,  the  dawn  goddess. 
Epe'us,      builder      of      the 

wooden  horse. 
Eph  i  al'tes,      one      of     the 

giants    who    piled    Pelion 

on  Ossa  in  order  to  reach 

the  gods. 
Ep  i  dau'rus,  74 
Ep  ig'o  ni,  265 
Ep  i  me'theus,  12 
Er'a  to,  140 
Er'e  bus,  5 
E  rech'theus,  244 
Er  ich  tho'ni  us,  244 
E  rin'ys,  the  Furies 
E  ri'phy  le,  264 
E'ris,  in 

E'ros,  5,  106,  112,  I22f.,  273 
Er  y  man'thi  an  boar,  216 
E  te'o  cles,  264 
E  thi  o'pi  ans,  4 
Eu  mae'us,      swineherd      of 

Odysseus. 

Eu  men'i  des,  189,  329 
Euphros'yne,    one    of    the 

Graces. 

Eu  ro'pa,  228f. 
Eu  ry'a  le  ,  one  of  the  gor- 

gons 

Eu  ry  cle'a,  323 
Eu  ryd'i  ce,  192 
Eu  ryl'o  chus,  a  companion 

of  Odysseus 
Eu  ryn'o  me,  mother  of  the 

Graces 

Eu  rys'theus,  213 
Eu  ter'pe,   140 
E  vad'ne,  wife  of  Capaneus, 

who,    when    her    husband 

was  killed  in  the  siege  of 

Thebes,  threw  herself  on 

his  funeral  pyre. 


Index 


367 


Evan'der,  347 

Fates,   140 
Fau'nus,  180 
Flood,  13 

Furies,  344.    See  also  Bu- 
rn enides 

Gaea,  5,  7,  8,  153 
Galate'a    (the  Nereid),  149 
Galate'a   (wife  of   Pygma- 

lion), 118 

Gan'y  mede,  36,  220,  284 
Garden  of  the  Hes  per'i  des, 

206 

Gem'i  ni,  235 
Genius,  the  guardian  spirit 

of    each   man,   sometimes 

symbolized  as  a  snake. 
Ge'ry  on,  220 
Giants,  5,  8 
Glau'cus,    a    prophetic    sea 

deity 

Golden  Age,   12 
Golden  fleece,  266 
Golden  bough,  90 
Gorgons,  203 
Graces,  139 
Grae'se,  204 

Ha'des,  6,  8,  154,  :87f.,  204, 


Hse'mon,   son   of   Creon   of 

Thebes.     See  p.  265. 
Hal  gy'o  ne,      daughter      of 
^Eolus     who,     when    her 
husband     perished     in     a 
shipwreck,   drowned   her- 
self.   The       two       were 
changed  into  birds. 
Ham  a  dry'ads,   184 
Har  mo'ni  a,  258,  264 
Harpies,  150,  271,  335 


He'be,  19,  36,  227 

Hec'ate,  89,  274,  277 

Hec'tor,  284,  292,  297,  332 

Hec'u  ba,  298 

Helen,  112,  235,  254,  286 

Hel'enus,  335 

Hel'icon,  139,  238 

He'lios,  55 

Hel'le,  266 

Hel'len,  son  of  Deucalion 
and  mythical  ancestor  of 
all  the  Hellenes  or  Greeks. 

Hellespont,  119,  267 

Hem'er  a,  Day.     See  p.  5. 

Hephaes'tus,    36,    49f-,    106, 

295 

He'ra,  6,  20,  361.,  in,  210 

Her'acles,  n,  78f.,  144, 
2iof.,  269 

Her'cu  les.    See   Heracles 

Her'mes,  25,  91  f.,  187,  204 

Her  mi'o  ne,  daughter  of 
Menelaus  and  Helen 

He'ro,   118 

He  si'o  ne,  144,  220 

Hes'per  us,  the  evening  star, 
father  of  the  Hesperides 

Hes  per'i  des,  206,  222 

Hes'tia,  6,  981. 

Hip  po  cre'ne,   238 

Hip  po  da  mi'a,   147 

Hip  pol'y  ta,  219 

Hip  pol'y  tus,  son  of  The- 
seus by  Antiope 

Hip  pom'e  nes,   nsf. 

Horn  of  plenty,  225 

Hours,  16,  59 

Hy  a  cin'thus,  64f . 

Hy'a  des,  seven  nymphs 
placed  by  Zeus  in  heaven 
as  a  constellation  because 
of  their  care  of  the  infant 
Dionysus. 

Hy'dra.    See  Lerncean 


368 


Index 


Hyge'a,    daughter    of    As- 

clepius    and    goddess    of 

health 
Hy'las,  270 
Hy'men,   god    of    marriage, 

son     of     Apollo     and     a 

Muse 

Hy  per  bo're  ans,  4 
Hy  pe'ri  on,  a  Titan,  father 

of  Helios  and  Selene 
Hy  perm  nes'tra,  199 
Hyp'nos,  the  god  of  sleep 

Iac'cus(  a  name  of  Diony- 
sus 

I  ap'e  tus,  a  Titan,  father  of 
Prometheus,  Epimetheus, 
and  Atlas 

Ic'a  rus,  233 

Ida,  Mt.,  in 

I 'das,  66 

Il'i  um    (Troy),  284f. 

I'lus,  284 

In'a  chus,  24,  199 

I'o,  24f.,  199 

I  o'ba  tes,  king  of  Lycia 
who  sent  Bellerophon  af- 
ter the  Chimaera 

I  o  la'us,  216 

I'o  le,  226 

I  o'ni  an    Sea,  26 

Iph'i  cles,  son  of  Amphi- 
tryon and  Alcmena 

Iph  i  ge  ni'a,  288,  329 

I'ris,  39,  271,  294 

Iron  Age,  13 

Islands  of  the  Blest,  190 

Is  me'ne,  265 

Ith'a  ca,  island  home  of 
Odysseus 

It'ylus,  247 

I'tys,  same  as  Itylus 

I  u'lus.     See  Ascanius 

Ix  i'on,  190 


Ja'nus,  347 

Ja'son,  242,  267f. 

Jo  cas'ta,  259 

Jove.     See  Jupiter 

Ju'no,     40,     339.     See     also 

Hera 
Ju'pi  ter,  34.     See  also  Zeus 

Ko're,  name  of  Persephone 

Lab'da  cus,  father  of  Laius 
of  Thebes 

Lab'y  rinth,  233,  250 

Lach'e  sis,   141 

La  er'tes,  father  of  Odys- 
seus 

Laes  try  go'ni  ans,  309 

Lai'us,  259 

La  oc'o  on,  303 

La  od  a  mi'a,  290 

Laom'edon,  144,  220,  225, 
284 

Lap'iths,  253 

La'res,  101 

Lati'nus,  346 

Lat'mos,  Mt.,  87 

La  to'na.     See  Le  to 

La  vin'i  a,  346 

Le  an'der,    118 

Le'da,  234 

Ler  nae  an  hydra,  216 

Le'the,  345 

Le'to,  60,  67f. 

Leu  coth'ea,  Ino,  wife  of 
Athamas,  became  a  sea 
nymph  under  this  name. 

Li'ber,  Italian  divinity,  later 
identified  with  Bacchus 

Li'ber  a,  Italian  divinity, 
later  identified  with  Pros- 
erpina 

Li'chas,  attendant  of  Her- 
acles who  brought  him 
the  poisoned  garment. 


Index 


369 


Li'nus,  a  song  of  lamenta- 
tion personified  as  a  son 
of  Apollo 

Lotus-eaters,  305 

Luna,  the  moon-goddess 

Ly  ae'us,  a  name  of  Bacchus 

Ly  cur'gus,  king  of  Thrace 
who  was  killed  for  perse- 
cuting Bacchus 

Ly'cus,  26 

Lyn'ceus,   199 

Ma  cha'on,  son  of  Asclepius, 
the  physician  in  the  Iliad 

Mae'nads,  173 

Mag'na  Ma'ter.     See  Cybele 

Mai'a,  91 

Ma'nes,  souls  of  the  dead, 
worshiped  in  Rome 

Mar'a  thon,  battle  of,  254 

Marathonian  bull,  250 

Marpes'sa,  66 

Mars,  109.     See  also  Ares 

Mar'syas,  181 

Ma'ter  Ma  tu'ta,  Italian  god- 
dess identified  with  Leu- 
cothea  or  Aurora. 

Mede'a,  249,  273f. 

Me  du'sa,  203,  238 

Mel  e  a'ger,  241,  269 

Mel  pom'e  ne,    139 

Mem'non,  300 

Men  e  la'us,  281,  286,  294, 
321 

Men'tor,  friend  and  adviser 
of  Odysseus 

Mer'cu  ry,  97f .  See  also 
Hermes 

Mer'o  pe,  wife  of   Sisyphus 

Metis,  "  insight,"  Zeus's 
wife  whom  he  swallowed 
before  Athena's  birth. 

Mi'das,  170,  181 

Mi  lan'i  on.    sometimes    this 


name     is     given     to     the 

suitor  of  Atalanta 
Mi  ner'va,      48.     See      also 

Athena 

Mi'nos,  189,  219,  230,  250 
Min'o  taur,  233,  250 
Mne  mos'y  ne,  22,   139 
Mu  sa'ge  tes,  Apollo  as  lead- 

er of  the  Muses 
Muses,  22,  59,  139,  238 
Myr'mi  dons,  283,  293 
Myr'ti  lus,  147,  282 
Mysteries,  158,  190 

Nai'ads,  152',  184 

Nar  cis'sus,  185 

Nau  sic'  a  a,  317 

Nectar,   19 

Neme'an  lion,  216 

Ne'me  sis,  141 

Ne'mi,  Lake,  90 

Ne  op  tol'e  mus,  301,  325 

Neph'e  le,  mother  of  Phrix- 

us  and  Helle 
Nep'tune,      148.     See      also 

Poseidon 
Ne're  ids,    148 
Ne'reus,  144,  148,  222 
Nes'sus,  225 
Nes'tor,  287,  321 
Night,  5 

Ni'ke.     See   Victory 
Ni'o  be,  66f. 
Nu'mi  tor,   348 
Nymphs,  151,  i84f.,  204 
Nyx.     See  Night 

Ocean,  4 
O  ce'a  nus,   143 
O  dys'seus,     150,    287,    300, 
01     0f. 


301,  30. 
CEd'ipus,  259! 
CE'neus,  241 
CEn  o  ma'us,  147 


Index 


CE  no'ne,  a  nymph,  wife  of 
Paris 

Olympic  games,  32f.,  218 

Olympic  Council,  19,  122 

Olympus,  Mt-,  7,  i6f. 

Om'pha  le,  224 

Oracle  at  Delphi.  See  Del- 
phi. 

Or'cus,  the  god  of  death 
and  the  place  of  the  dead. 
See  Hades 

O're  ads,  184 

O  res'tes,  328 

O  ri'on,  88f. 

Or  i  thy'ia,  245 

Or'pheus,  192,  269 

Os'sa,  Mt,  in  Thessaly. 
The  giants  tried  to  pile 
Pelion  on  Ossa  in  their 
attempt  to  overthrow  the 
gods. 

O'tus,  one  of  the  giants 

Pte  an,  62 

Pa  lae'mon,  son  of  Athamas 

and  Ino,  who  was  turned 

into  a  sea  deity. 
Pal  a  me'des,     one     of     the 

Greek    heroes    who    was 

driven    to    death    by    the 

enmity  of  Odysseus. 
Pa'les,  Roman  god  of  flocks 
Pal  i  nu'rus,  341,  343 
Pal  la'di  um,  301 
Pal'las.    See  Athena 
Pan,   i73f. 
Pan  di'on,  father  of  Procne 

and  Philomela 
Pando'ra,  nf. 
Pan'dro  sus,  a  daughter  of 

Cecrops 

Par'c.ae,  the  Fates 
Par'is,    in,    284,    286,    300, 

301 


Par  nas'sus,  Mt.,  14,  56,  59, 

139 

Par'the  non,  44 

Par  then  o  pae'us,  son  of 
Meleager  and  Atalanta, 
one  of  the  Seven  against 
Thebes. 

Pa  siph'a  e,  wife  of  Minos 
and  mother  of  the  Mino- 
taur 

Pa  tro'clus,  288,  293 

Peg'a  sus,  238 

Pe'leus,  in,  269,  283 

Pe'li  as,  267,  276 

Pe  li'des,  "  son  of  Peleus," 
Achilles 

Pe'li  on,  Mt.     See  Ossa 

Pe'lops,  147,  282 

Pena'tes,   101,  334 

Pe  nel'o  pe,  287,  320,  324 

Pe  ne'us,  a  river-god,  father 
of  Daphne 

Pen  thes  i  le'a,   300 

Pen'theus,  168 

Per  i  pha'tes,  248 

Per  seph'o  ne,  21,  i54f.,  189, 

254 

Per'seus,  2Oof. 
Phae  a'ci  ans,  317 
Phae'dra,  daughter  of  Minos 

and  wife  of  Theseus 
Pha'e  thon,  7of. 
Phi  le'mon,  28f. 
Phil  oc  te'tes,  227,  301 
Phil  o  me'la,  246 
Phi'neus,  208,  271 
Phleg'ethon,  188,  311,  344 
Phoe'be,  name  of  Artemis 
Phre'bus.     See  Apollo 
Pho'lus,    a    centaur    whom 

Heracles  accidentally 

killed. 
Phor'cys,  a  sea  deity,  father 

of  Gorgons  and  Graeat 


Index 


371 


Phrix'us,  266 

Pi  er'i  a,  139 

Pi  re'ne,  236 

Pi  rith'o  us,  242,  253 

Ple'ia  des,  89 

Plu'to.     See  Hades 

Plu'tus,  god  of  wealth 

Pol'lux.     See    Polydeuces 

Pol'ybus,  king  of  Corinth 
who  adopted  CEdipus 

Polydec'tes,  202,  208 

Polydeu'ces,  234,  241,  254, 
269 

Pol  y  do'rus,  334 

Po  lym'ni  a,  140 

Pol  y  ni'ces,  264 

Polyphe'mus,  149,  306,  336 

Pol  yx'e  na,  daughter  of 
Priam,  sacrificed  on  Achil- 
les' tomb 

Po  sei'don,   6,   8,   45,    I43f., 

233 

Pri'am,  225,  284,  298f.,  304 

Pri  a'pus,  god  of  fruitful- 
ness 

Proc'ne,  246 

Pro'cris,  245 

Pro  crus'tes,  249 

Proe'tus,    237 

Pro  me'theus,  gi .,  223,  273 

Pro  ser'pi  na.  See  Perseph- 
one 

Pro  tes  i  la'us,   290 

Pro'teus,  149,  321 

Psy'che,  I23f. 

Psy'cho  pom'pus,  "  leader  of 
souls,"  title  of  Hermes 

Pyg  ma'li  on,   118 

Pyg'mies,  4,  222 

Py'lades,  328 

Pyr'a  mus,   ugf. 

Pyr'rha,  14 

Pyr'rhus.     See  Neoptolemus 


Pyth'i  a,  priestess  of  Apollo 

at  Delphi 
Py'thon,  62 

Quiri'nus,  35*1 

Regil'lus,   battle    of   Lake, 

235 

Re'mus,  347 

Rhad  a  man'thus,   189,  230 
Rhe'a,  6f.,  153 
Rhe'a  Sil'vi  a,  348 
River-gods,  151 
Rom'u  lus,  104,  345,  347 
Rut'u  li,  the  people  of  Tur- 

nus 

Sabines,  350 

Sal  mo'neus,  a  son  of  ^Eolus 
who  was  punished  in  the 
lower  world  for  trying  to 
equal  Zeus. 

Sa'mos,  36 

Sarpe'don,  an  ally  of  the 
Trojans 

Sat'urn,   12 

Sat  ur  na'li  a,  feast  of  Sat- 
urn, occurring  about  the 
time  of  our  Christmas. 

Sat'yrs,  173,  I79f. 

Sea  man'der,  one  of  the  riv- 
ers by  Troy 

Sci'ron,  248 

Sgyl'la,  151,  314 

Se  le'ne,  80 

Sem'e  le,  165,  259 

Sib'yl,  80,  165,  341 

Sile'nus,   166,   173,   i8if. 

Silva'nus,  a  Roman  divinity 
of  woods  and  fields. 

Silver  Age,   13 

Si'nis,  248 

Si'non,  303 


372 


Index 


Si'rens,   150,  313 

Sir'i  us,  89 

Sis'y  phus,    190,  236 

Sphinx,  261 

Stroph'a  des,  335 

Stym  pha'H  an  birds,  217 

Styx,  188,  283 

Sun,  cattle  of  the,  315 

Sychae'us,  husband  of  Dido 

Sym  pleg'a  des,  271 

Syr'inx,  178 

Ta'lus,  a  bronze  giant 

Tan'ta  lus,    190,   281 

Tar'ta  rus,  7,  190,  344 

Tau'ri  ans,  329 

Tel'a  mon,  269 

Te  lem'a  chus,  287,  320 

Te'reus,  246 

Terp  sich'o  re,    139 

Te'thys,  one  of  the  Titans 

Teu'cer  (i)  First  king  of 
Troy,  (2)  one  of  the 
Greek  heroes  in  the  Tro- 
jan War. 

Tha  li'a,  one  of  the  Graces 

Tha  li'a,  139 

The'mis,  goddess  of  order 
and  justice;  by  Zeus  she 
was  the  mother  of  the 
Hours  and  Fates. 

Ther  si'tes,  a  deformed  and 
impudent  Greek  at  the 
siege  of  Troy. 

The'seus,  242,  247f. 

The'tis,  in,  148,  283,  292 

This'be,  1191. 

Thy  es'tes,  282 

Thyr'sus,  168 

Ti'ber,  347 

Ti  re'si  as,   311 

Ti  si'pho  ne,  one  of  the 
Furies 


Ti'tans,  5,  7 

Titho'nus,  brother  of  Pri- 
am, beloved  by  the  Dawn, 
through  whom  he  gained 
perpetual  life  but  not  per- 
petual youth. 

Ti'ty  us,  a  giant  who  was 
cast  into  Tartarus  for  of- 
fering violence  to  a  god- 
dess. 

Trip  tol'e  mus,  161 

Tritogeni'a,  a  name  of 
Athena  ;  origin  unknown. 

Tri'tons,   144 

Troi'lus,  son  of  Priam 

Trojan  War,  28of. 

Tros,  284 

Tur'nus,  346 

Tyn  da'reus,  234 

Ty'phon,  8 

U  lys'ses.     See  Odysseus 
Underworld.     See    Hades 
U  ra'ni  a,   140 
U'ranus,  5,  8 

Ve'nus,  115,   124.     See  also 

Aphrodite 

Ves'ta,  zoo.    See  also  Hcstia 
Vestal  Virgins,  100 
Victor}',  20,  45 
Vul'can,  52.     See  also  He- 

phccstus 


Winds.     See 
Wooden  horse,  301 

X  an'thus,  296 

Zeph'yr,  125,  142 

Ze'thus,  26f. 

Zeus,  7f.,  igf.,  200,  210,  229 


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